


Magari

by dennyv61



Series: Standing On Line [1]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Attempt at Humor, Awkward Conversations, Changkyun's a huge nerd weenie, Drunken Shenanigans, Explicit Sexual Content, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gen, Kihyun's cute and shameless, M/M, minhyuk hyungwon and wonho dont show up till chapter 4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2018-10-13 02:33:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10504620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dennyv61/pseuds/dennyv61
Summary: Magari - Italian word meaning, maybe/If only/I wish/I desire that depending on the context.The fake-dating AU no one really asked for (if this can even be considered fake-dating). Changkyun meets Kihyun outside an Italian restaurant during Couples Night. The rest is history.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> total disclaimer i have no idea how restaurant discounts work and i also acknowledge how much of a mess this is lmao. the end gets weirdly artsy and descriptive??? this is divided into two parts, the second part has the..... nsfw stuff.. and it will be uploaded later.  
> also fair warning this is unbeta-ed af so typos galore most likely lmao sry

In the grand scheme of things, Changkyun believed he was a simple man. He liked seat warmers, cute dog noses, organized newspapers, and the fizzy sound that emmited from blinking streetlights as they flickered on and off. What he loved most of all was the comfort of his small, yet cozy, apartment, crammed neatly into the "chic" Soho district of New York City.

Nothing felt better than coming home, kicking his shoes off his abused, tired feet, and dumping himself onto the ugly vintage floral armchair his grandmother gave him as a home-christening gift. Sure, it smelled like mothballs and stale dust, but who was he, a dirt poor journalist living in one of the most expensive cities in the country, to deny free furniture. At least, that’s how he’d justified keeping the stupid chair to his roommate. Or should he say, the current bane of his pathetic existence, Lee Minhyuk.

Standing outside the entrance to his apartment complex, Changkyun stared blankly at the passing taxi’s and flashing lights, his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets. If he wasn't so outrageously furious, he would have taken the time to appreciate the industrial urban beauty sprawled out before him. As it was, all he saw was a shitload of traffic and rude business men. He just couldn’t believe he was being sex-aisled from his own fucking apartment at 5 P.M. 5 goddamn P.M in the evening. What next level hoe does someone have to be to kick their roommate out of the apartment at 5 o’clock just to get laid.

To make matters worse, Changkyun had been planning all week to make a lovely home-cooked meal tonight. He had the pasta sauce and noodles all ready, had a recipe from his grandma he was dying to try out. Hell, he’d even splurged and bought _fettuccine_. Through all the disappointment, one thing was clear to him: next time he got churros on his way home from work, he wouldn’t buy an extra one for Minhyuk. That bitch can go churro-less for the rest of his life, for all he cared.

Huffing angrily into his scarf, Changkyun’s eyes tracked the movements of the people on the street, contemplating where to go. Either, he stood outside his building like an idiot and mentally cursed out Minhyuk, or he could start walking, maybe enjoy the ambience, and hopefully find something to eat. While Changkyun could have easily skulked in the street corner and verbally dragged his roommate to L.A and back, his stomach had other, much more urgent, needs.

He pushed himself off from the brick wall and started down the sidewalk, eyes squinting against the brisk wind while he took in the surrounding scenery. Despite having lived in New York for a little over a year, Changkyun still didn’t know, as Minhyuk would say, "diddly-squat" about the city. Try as he might to learn the quirky restaurants and hidden hipster charms, he could never develop a clear mental roadmap, making it impossible for him to comfortably cruise to any destination that wasn’t the subway system. As a result, he had no idea where any good and, most importantly, decently priced restaurants resided. Go figure. That type of information would be super helpful at a time like this.

Continuing to scan the buildings for anything that struck his fancy, Changkyun came to the conclusion that he was successfully and totally overwhelmed by the complexity of this city. Why were there so many food places here, for crying out loud? Don’t misunderstand him, culinary diversity is a fantastic concept, but why were there 5 different pizza joints in the same intersection? How did anyone ever decide what they were going to eat, with 20 different choices within a legit 20 meter radius. He had passed one Starbucks, only to encounter yet _another_ Starbucks a block down.

As he turned right down the next street, Changkyun glanced over to see a restaurant that looked pretty lively, albeit run-down. _Must be one of those hole-in-wall places_ , he thought while squinting at the sign hanging outside.  _Benedetto’s,_ he mentally read, taking in the dark green exterior of the restaurant. He took one of the menu’s from the basket near the entrance and scanned it briefly, his stomach making loud noises of approval at the descriptions.

Everything looked great, except for one thing that nagged at him. There seemed to be an alarming amount of couples entering and exiting the front door, chattering and hand-holding littering the outside atmosphere. While this would seem normal to a mere passerbyer, Changkyun had now been standing in the general vicinity for a solid 6 minutes. There were no groups of friends, no families seated outside or, from what he gleaned by the people entering, inside. As he stood there pondering this strange phenomenon, he noticed a pretty floral sign propped up against the entrance that he had somehow managed to overlook:

 

**Happy Couples Night!**

_Come eat with your s/o and get:_

_40% off Drinks_

_30% off Main Menu_

 

Ah, that explained a whole lot right there. Shame he was alone. If Minhyuk wasn’t back getting his freak on in their apartment, he would have dragged his ass here for the discounted prices. As it was, Changkyun was very much single, and very much alone. Turning around to continue his search for nourishment, he noticed another guy walk up beside him to read the same sign. A frown graced the other’s features as he read the words, clearly as displeased as Changkyun had been.  The first thing Changkyun noticed was the man’s undercut, his brown hair elegantly pushed back from his face, styled to near perfection. In comparison, Changkyun’s black hair, simply parted on the right, looked elementary and basic as hell.

Reaching up to self-consciously adjust his scarf, Changkyun scanned the contour of the other’s face, admiring his sharp jaw structure and pert, rather cute mouth. The guy really had an adorable, yet beautiful face. In all honesty, Changkyun was surprised he could get such a good look at it, since he was only looking at the other man’s profile. Actually, now that he thought about it, he could actually see the other man’s entire face, straight on. Wait a minute, he could see the front of his face, which meant the other guy was facing him. As his brain sputtered to life and slowly put two and two together, he realised the other guy was looking right back at him, features constructed into a mildly alarmed state. _Oh fuck._

The man stared at him, mouth slightly open in a silent “o” while his eyebrows furrowed in obvious confusion. Changkyun needed to act, and he needed to act fast.

“Are you single?” he blurted out.

Smooth, Changkyun, so very smooth.

The other man recoiled, looked affronted and definitely flustered, “E-excuse me?”

Changkyun felt his entire face flush as he stumbled over his words, “I mean, I’m, uh I, ok… I’m not coming, like, onto you, you’re just, ya kno, I mean.. I’m alone, just thinking…. And… you’re alone...”

Internally cringing at his ill-worded and unintentionally suggestive response, Changkyun watched the other man’s eyebrows rise further up his forehead. Would it _really_ be that hard for him to say something normal and actually not creepy for once?

Physically restraining himself from strangling his own neck, Changkyun backtracked, “Ok, what I meant, honestly, was are you eating by yourself?”

The other guy, regarding Changkyun carefully, slowly nodded, “Yeah, I was just on my way back from work. Kinda hoping to stop here to grab something, but I don’t think I will, since it’s Couple's Night.” He let out a soft, breathy laugh, “Don’t wanna be _that_ person.”

The guy stopped and frowned, looking questionably sad at his predicament, his pretty eyes turning downward as he gazed at the ground. _Oh Lord_ , Changkyun had always been a sucker for a pretty face. Before Changkyun could stop himself, he felt the words tumble out of his mouth to betray his useless ass.

“Be my boyfriend.”

Internally screaming, he quickly corrected himself, “Fuck, _no,_ I mean, we could just, like, pretend to be a couple? You can be my fake boyfriend. We both wanna eat, and we’d both benefit from the discount, s’all.”

At this point, he knew his face was probably as red as a fuckin’ ripe tomato with how much heat he could feel radiating from it. The other man was silent, shock evident on his features, clearly expecting that to be the last thing out of Changkyun’s mouth. After a painful couple seconds of silence, a smile broke out on his face, followed by choppy laughter as he doubled over at his waist.

“Oh…ahaha... my God...That’s actually, really fucking smart, dude.” The other man’s eyes had turned into crescents as he extended his hand to Changkyun, “Name’s Kihyun.”

Briefly stunned by the man's complete change in mood, he took a moment to regain his composure before mumbling “Changkyun,” as he grasped Kihyun’s gloved hand.

Releasing their grips, Kihyun emitted a couple more barks of laughter before catching his breath. Even though he had embarrassed the ever-loving shit out of himself, Changkyun couldn’t bring himself to be that upset by it. The warmth radiating off the upturned lips on the man’s face almost seemed worth it, not that Changkyun would ever admit it. Abruptly, Kihyun surprised the other by leaning forward to loop his arm through Changkyun’s.

“Well, _boyfriend_ , I’m positively _starving_ , aren’t you?” Kihyun’s eyes glittered as he beamed at Changkyun’s flustered face.

At this, he snorted, ignoring the weird fluttering sensation caused by the other’s proximity. All of a sudden, he was extremely grateful he was wearing gloves that masked his clammy, nervous hands.

“Honestly, wasn’t expecting you to jump into the role so quickly, or eagerly, for that matter.” Changkyun admitted, looking at the other male through the corner of his eye. He felt the grip on his arm squeeze and release.

“Hunger makes a man do crazy things.” Kihyun deadpanned. He pulled Changkyun forward and pushed the door open to the restaurant, the delicious aroma of Italian food making Changkyun’s mouth water. The place had a superb old-fashioned vibe, complete with unreasonably dim lighting and dingy wallpaper.

They walked up to the hostess, who looked positively bored out of her mind. Glancing around at all the lovey-dovey looks being thrown around him, Changkyun couldn’t exactly blame her.

She straightened up when they approached the front of the podium she was standing behind, quickly plastering a smile on her face.

“Welcome to Benedetto’s, proudly serving authentic home-style Italian food since 1964,” she reached down behind the podium to grab two menus, “You two here for couple's night?”

Smiling sweetly, Kihyun patted Changkyun’s arm that he was currently latched onto, “Yeah, me and my boyfriend love this place. We come here all the time!”

“I’m sure it helps that we have a pretty nice discount, right?” the hostess replied smoothly, motioning for them to follow her.

“Well, that _might_ be a plus.”

 

* * *

 

Their table was tucked away near the corner of the restaurant, surprisingly warm and inviting in the dark atmosphere. Two lit candles graced the white and red checkered tablecloth (literally, how cliche could this place get). Grainy Italian music played softly in the background while nondescript human chatter filtered through the air.

Once seated, both of them quickly ordered, barely taking time to consider the menu before they were waving their waiter over again. Changkyun guessed there was a definite positive side to being on this level of hunger: quick and deliberate decisions.

Beaming brightly at them, their waiter wrote down their orders and collected their menus, “So, how long you two been dating?”

Changkyun choked on his spit, quickly coughing to cover his reaction, “Uhhm, what?”

“Well, I assume you’re here for Couple’s Night, no?” The waiter raised an eyebrow at him.

He felt his tongue wither into a raisin under the waiter’s expectant gaze. Thankfully, he was saved from utter disaster by Kihyun, who chuckled nervously before answering.

“It’s been, uh, 5 years now. 5 passionate, lovely years!” Kihyun lied, light and pleasant smile on his face as he reached under the table to squeeze Changkyun’s knee none too gently.

Changkyun coughed again, smiling awkwardly in return, “Yeah, he’s, uh, the love of my life.”

Their waiter grinned, looking back and forth between them, “That’s so cute! You guys look so shy talking about this, that’s sweet.” Changkyun flushed. “How did you two meet? College?”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Changkyun nodded, “Yup, uh, freshman year. That’s when I met him. We were in the same… Fiction Writing class…” Of all the times for his imagination to fail him, of course, it was now. What use was his journalism degree if it didn't even come in handy when he needed it most?

Kihyun quickly nodded across the table, “I remember it like it was yesterday, really, not to be cliche. He was so... How do I say it? Dreamy? He was just so handsome,” he paused to wink at Changkyun across the table, “If I’m honest, I really fell for him that day he read his Star Trek fanfic to the entire class, it was really beautifully written and just _so_ romantic.”

Changkyun swallowed a strangled sound of protest, eyes narrowing at the man in front of him, who smiled innocently in return. He felt the waiter’s gaze shift to him.

Letting out a low laugh, he shrugged, “What can I say, I was just trying to impress you, _babe_. I knew how much you _really_ loved Kirk.”

Looking mildly uncomfortable, the waiter shook his head, “That’s… uh… too cute, really? The best relationships always start over the silliest things… I guess. Uh, I’ll go put your orders in so you don’t have to wait too long for your food,” He said as he walked away.

Silence followed.

“Did you just imply I was hot for _Kirk_ ?” Kihyun looked incredulous, “Puh-lease, I only had eyes for Spock, that _steamy_ piece of vulcan ass.”

After that lovely interaction, Changkyun had firmly insisted on ordering a bottle of strong red wine, which Kihyun had cocked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at.

“Do you really want to sit through this dinner without alcohol.” Changkyun bluntly explained, eyes scanning the various wines on the drink menu, trying to guess in vain which had the highest alcohol content.

Resting his chin in his hand, Kihyun chuckled, “No, I guess not.” He reached down to rub the corner of his napkin. “I’ll pay for half of it.”

Without lifting his eyes, Changkyun shook his head, “You can cover the second bottle.”

Kihyun laughed, head thrown back for a brief second before hunching over to lean on the table, his eyes sparkling.

“You’re an interesting guy, Changkyun, writer of Star Trek fanfics,” he hummed sweetly, finger trailing along the edge of his napkin.

Changkyun tracked the movement, placing down the drink menu and folding his own hands in his lap. It took him a good couple seconds to realize he wasn’t saying anything.

“Oh, uh, yeah.”

Killing it, Changkyun, killing it.

He abruptly stood up, “I gotta go, uh, to the bathroom, yeah, bathroom. Be right back.” He stuttered, avoiding Kihyun’s startled expression and turning to make his way to where he assumed the restrooms would be. He could feel Kihyun’s eyes on him for what felt like a goddamn eternity before he was able to get out of sight.

Pushing open the bathroom door, he stalked up to the sink and roughly gripped the sides, knuckles turning white from exertion, “Fuck,” he murmured, looking at his flushed face in the mirror. Why was he so _awkward_ , for fuck’s sake? _C’mon Changkyun, you can do this. It’s for cheap food. You can make it through this._ He nodded at his reflection. _Just because that guy is super cute and has the nicest eyes and sweetest lips and the most ethereal voice…_ Changkyun groaned. What sort of shit did he do in his past life to deserve this.

He turned the faucet on, splashing water on his face before running his hands vigorously over his skin. Patting his face dry, he faced himself once again in the mirror. _Ok_ , he pointed a finger at his reflection, _you got this, kid. Deep breaths. No nerd shit._ He stared blankly at his own accusing finger. Yeah, he was definitely doomed. On the bright side, he would have yet another embarrassing story to tell Minhyuk once he got back to the apartment. That’s always how it was: Minhyuk got laid, Changkyun got played. By himself. An image of DJ Khaled popped into his mind, the musician’s disappointed gaze directed at his pathetic state. “ _Congrats, Changkyun, you played yourself.”_ He sighed. _You’re right, DJ Khaled, I did. It’s me... boo-boo the fool...._

The bathroom door suddenly swung open as an older man entered, startling Changkyun from his inner thoughts. For the sake of his own sanity, he really needed to stop zoning out like that. Shaking his head, Changkyun decided it was time to leave the safety of the bathroom and at least attempt to regain control of his life.

As he walked back to his table, he took the moment to quickly observe his so-called “date.” Kihyun had his head resting lightly in his palm, while his other hand scrolled through his phone. His nose would scrunch up every once in awhile, tongue caught between his teeth as he looked deep in thought. There was a little mole in the left corner of his mouth.  _So cute_ , Changkyun thought. If he wasn’t hell bent on acting like a normal human being tonight, Changkyun would have mused on the fact that Kihyun was _exactly_ his type. Said man looked up when he noticed Changkyun sliding into his seat and gave him a small smile.

Changkyun shyly returned the smile and moved his hands to the table, gently drumming his fingers on it to try to quell the awkward silence that followed his return. He startled when he felt soft fingers brush his own.

“ _Darling_ , you aren’t paying any attention to me!” Kihyun pouted, lips pursed together as his hand tugged on Changkyun’s.

“Oh my God, what are you doing.” Changkyun squeaked, attempting to withdraw his hand, earning him a giggle in return.

Kihyun leaned forward, elbows now resting on the table, and dramatically fluttered his eyelashes.

“C’mon, don’t want them to think we aren’t a real couple, right, babe?” He grinned, running his thumb along Changkyun’s palm.

Swallowing the strangled noise in his throat, Changkyun slowly nodded, “Yeah, you’re right.” Two can play at this game. He quickly looked around, before leaning forward as well, “Don’t want them to think we’re trying to cheat the system or anything, _babycakes_.”

 

* * *

 

The wine was a game changer, that much Changkyun was certain of. An hour into dinner, he was on his third glass, lazily observing Kihyun talk about his dog.

“Oh, she’s so lovely! You would love her. Really, the perfect dog. Peak performance, peak everything. Granted, all dogs are perfect, but Daisy, oh, she’s _perfect,_ you know?” Kihyun’s cheeked were tinted a brilliant rosy hue as he waved his hand in Changkyun’s direction.

Taking a sip from his own wine glass, Changkyun reached over to grab the wine bottle, instinctively refilling Kihyun’s now-empty glass, “Trust me, I understand. Remember when I told you some of my favorite things in the entire world were dog noses? Yeah, extremely relevant now.”

Watching Changkyun refill his glass, Kihyun blinked, “What’s your favorite breed of dog? Mine’s golden retrievers. _I know,_ that’s so  _basic_ , I really do, but wow, they’re just so beautiful. Daisy’s a golden, did I mention that? I think I did…”

He trailed off while Changkyun silently watched him, an amused smile on his lips. When drunk, Kihyun quite clearly talked enough for the both of them. During this short amount of time, Changkyun had learned a remarkable amount about the other. To start, Kihyun’s surname was Yoo, and he had lived in New York his whole life and didn’t have even the slightest desire to leave (something Changkyun just  _couldn’t_ relate to). Kihyun grew up with four other siblings, all of whom were older than him, which created a deep sense of competition within him, which came out in his work and even in his relationships. While Kihyun had said he didn’t exactly like that side of himself, Changkyun had found it painfully endearing from his perspective. Kihyun, after downing a couple glasses, had informed the other man that he had been in a grand total of two relationships his whole life, both of which had turned into permanent friendships with the other person. Changkyun also learned his companion was 3 years older, something which had surprised him. The energy around Kihyun made him seem so youthful, Changkyun had just assumed he was the younger one. And, per the current conversion, he was quickly finding out that the other was an  _avid_ dog fan.

Taking a break from talking, Kihyun shoveled another mouthful of linguine pasta into his mouth, moaning mildly obscenely (seriously, this guy’s voice was incredible) at the delicious flavour on his tongue. Some of the sauce had smeared in the corner of his mouth, catching Changkyun’s eye. Setting the wine bottle down, he reached over and wiped away the sauce, quickly putting his thumb in his mouth to suck it off. Reality hit him like a 10-ton bulldozer. Did he really just do what he thought he did? Did he _literally_ just lick off the sauce on his fingers that had been on the other guy’s lips?

Looking up, he was met with quite a shocked expression, confirming Changkyun’s growing suspicions that he would most likely have to throw himself off a building by the end of this night. He didn’t say anything, instead choosing to aggressively stare at his food and furiously sip his wine.

“Why’d ya do that?”

“Do what?”

“... That.”

“Don’t know what your talkin’ about.”

“You wiped food off my mouth and licked it.”

“Force of habit.”

“Oh, so you normally grab dinner with random strangers and ingest food that’s been on their face, interesting.”

Stifling a groan, Changkyun forced himself to look up. Instead of seeing a judgemental stare like he expected, he was met with an amused smirk. He watched Kihyun bring the wine glass up to his lips and take a long sip, his tongue darting out to lick the remaining moisture off his lower lip, eyes honing in on Changkyun’s. Something swirled deep in his stomach, startling him with its ferocity.

Clearing his throat, Changkyun looked around the room, desperately trying to find the waiter so they could pay their bill. The alcohol was definitely starting to impact his judgement.

“Changkyun.”

At the mention of his name, he looked back at Kihyun, who was smiling knowingly at him, a gentle tug upward of his lips. His vision starting to get a bit fuzzy around the edges, Changkyun thought he could most definitely stare at the other’s smile all day, could wax in long, fully-cited essays about the unfiltered poetic beauty of the other man’s expression. _Woah_ , ok, he needed to chill the fuck out. What was this, Romeo and Juliet.

“Why were you staring at me outside?” Kihyun softly asked, hand reaching out again to touch Changkyun’s own. This time, he let Kihyun’s hand slip smoothly into his, holding him gently. Changkyun blinked, the alcohol buzzing low in his gut, words slipping out easily before he could stop them.

“I thought you were beautiful.”

Kihyun’s smile morphed into a wide grin, his eyes alive with humor and something else, something harder to read.

“I knew it.” He murmured, watching Changkyun’s thumb slowly rub circles on his wrist.

“Why’d you say yes,” Changyun said, suddenly aware of how dry his mouth way. He would blame the wine, but he knew better, “to, you know, being my pretend boyfriend?”

Kihyun huffed, rolling his eyes before replying. “Everyone likes discounted food, silly. Also,” He paused, leaning forward, coming so close that his breath, sweet from the wine, fanned over Changkyun’s lips, “I thought you were beautiful.”

And in that exact moment, Changkyun knew, he was truly and utterly fucked.

 

* * *

 

As they walked down the street away from Bennedito’s, Changkyun could feel Kihyun’s side pressed into him, arm hooked through his own. He found himself thoroughly enjoying the increased warmth, although he wasn’t really sure if it was Kihyun or the alcohol swimming through his veins. The digital advertisements and store signs on the buildings glittered brightly in the night, painting neon shadows on the pair’s faces. To Changkyun, his companion really did look like a work of art, a concept straight out of some abstract painting about the metaphysical identity of beauty. Holding back a grimace, Changkyun rolled his eyes. Good Lord, wine really did turn him into a pathetic sap.

“Where do you live?” Changkyun asked, shuddering as a particularly cold gust of wind blew past them and mentally thanking the alcohol for warming his bloodstream. “I’ll walk you home.”

Kihyun giggled and slapped his arm, “Shut up, I’m not that bad! I can get home by myself.” He pouted cutely.

Chuckling in return, Changkyun stopped to face the other, at a loss of what to say next. He guessed this was where they parted ways and probably never spoke again, both having gotten what they wanted out of the evening. The mere thought of that made his stomach twist uncomfortably.

“So, I guess… I’ll let you go.” He mumbled, voice muffled by the scarf covering his mouth.

Kihyun scoffed and reached up to move it, lightly brushing his fingers over Changkyun’s lips in the process. He paused in his actions, looking into the other’s eyes. They were practically the same height and their gazes met straight on, giving a curious aura of intimacy to the exchange.

Kihyun didn’t let go of Changkyun’s arm, “Yeah, I guess so.”

Silence stretched out between them, though it wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable. It felt full, almost too warm for both of them. In Changkyun’s mind, they both could have stood there in that heavy limbo for hours and he wouldn’t have minded in the slightest.

Avoiding his gaze, Kihyun looked past Changkyun, eyes tracking the people moving around them. He let out a low cough, clearing his throat before speaking, “Now that I think about it, it might be nice to have someone walk me home. It’s getting pretty late.”

Changkyun’s facial expression remained neutral, the cold air hitting his now-exposed face. He made no move to return his scarf to its original position, “I would feel better, knowing you got home safe, ya’ know. Safety is… important.” Man, he really was killing it tonight. Straight _fire_.

“Yeah, of course, completely understand.”

“Ok, yeah, I’ll just… walk you home, then.”

Looking at Changkyun from under his lashes, Kihyun let out the long breath he had been holding in, smoke-like vapor leaving his mouth as he exhaled into the space between them.

“Follow me, then, good samaritan.”

He gently tugged on Changkyun’s arm, guiding them across the street. As he followed, Changkyun looked up into the flashing banners above them, feeling exposed as the lights washed down on him, slightly overwhelming his drunken senses. Glancing quickly at Kihyun, he saw that the other was gazing right back at him, unwavering in his stare, a challenge written openly on his face. The writer in Changkyun thought it was like looking into the eyes of a starving animal. The animal’s mouth was open, inviting him to either enter or run, join or flee. _What the hell_ , he was so tired of running. Without a second thought, Changkyun knew he would leap into its waiting jaws, allowing them to slam shut.

He squeezed Kihyun’s hand, his own gaze just as strong in return, hoping it would convey the shuddering mass of emotions within his mind. Satisfied, Kihyun pulled and pulled, guiding Changkyun through the streets, the thrill of the night and the hum of the alcohol singing in their veins.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magari ci siamo innamorati.
> 
> Changkyun walks Kihyun home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hollllllyyy hell ok this entire chapter is literally just a terrible excuse for me to practice writing sex scenes lmao  
> also i fell in love w these characters in this AU tbh so... there might be more from this... who knows

Changkyun wasn’t sure what he expected to occur when they arrived outside Kihyun’s apartment. Huddled underneath the overhang of the complex, the two men waited, allowing the crisp wind to whistle fiercly past them. Close enough to count the other’s eyelashes, Changkyun nervously rubbed his fingers along Kihyun’s palm, which was still firmly grasped within his own.

Kihyun stifled a yawn and leaned ever so slightly closer to Changkyun, his leg slipping fractionally between the other’s. He gave Changkyun a curious smile, eyes slowly and purposefully tracing the contour of his face.

“Do you want something to drink? Something warm?” Kihyun asked, fluttering his eyelashes against the frigid air, “I have coffee and tea… if you’re interested.”

In any other situation, Changkyun would have chuckled at that cliche sentence and poked fun at the innuendo-laced implications. After all, he wasn’t a cheesy sap who fell for silly pick-up lines, now was he? However, when those words slipped out from Kihyun’s lips, Changkyun realized he would have to start re-evaluating every single aspect of himself. If Kihyun wanted to serve him coffee at this questionable hour in the night, who was _he_ to contest that?

“I’d love a drink, actually. I’m freezing my ass off.” He emphasized his point by vigorously rubbing his hands together, earning a giggle from his companion.

Kihyun grinned, teeth illuminated by the shimmering city lights, his brown hair starting to fall out of its styled position and falling into his face. Entranced, Changkyun reached out and traced over the small freckle gracing the corner of Kihyun’s mouth before moving to brush the hair back from the other’s forehead, admiring the way Kihyun’s skin seemed to glow in the dim lighting. Kihyun inhaled sharply before grabbing Changkyun’s hand and bringing it down but not releasing his hold. He turned around, a gentle tug encouraging Changkyun to follow while he typed in the code to the building door. The door clicked open and they went inside, starting up the staircase, a pleasantly warm feeling emanating between them despite the chilly air.

“I’m on the 6th floor,” Kihyun admitted, shoes echoing throughout the stairwell, “Sorry that it’s a bit of a climb, I like to think it’s gotta nice view though.”

Changkyun shrugged, “I live on the 5th floor, trust me I’m used to that grind. I don’t even have a good view. My window looks out into a back alley. Great for cat-watching, I guess.”

Kihyun laughs, the sound shaking the air around them. Changkyun glances at the number on the wall in front of them: 4. Almost there. The small hand clasped within his own is warm and soft, fingers interlacing with a delicate pressure, the energy alarmingly thick around them.

At last, the two men reach a door that reads 6A. Kihyun releases Changkyun’s hand to remove his keys from his pocket, keychain jingling as he deftly unlocked the door and switched the light on. Changkyun glanced around the small apartment, taking in the neat interior and organized furniture. There was a solid theme to the decor, proof someone had taken a good amount of time to plan the aesthetic of this place - that much was clear to him. There was no tacky vintage sofa in sight, no 2-day old macaroni left in the sink, no half-naked roommate sprawled across the couch with a bag of half-eaten gummy worms strewn across the ground. He felt like he could shed a tear at the sheer _humanity_ of this place, as clearly a person like Minhyuk had never stepped foot near this apartment. Changkyun let out a soft, wistful sigh: _what a beautiful place._

Making his way over to the kitchen cupboards, Kihyun unraveled his scarf from his neck, throwing it onto the back of a chair by the small wooden table.

“Go ahead and take your coat off, toss it over one of the chairs,” he said, waving his hand in that general direction, “Do you want tea or coffee?”

Changkyun noticed Kihyun had to stand on his tiptoes to reach the mugs. Even though he would have to do the same damn thing, he still found it incredibly endearing. Letting out a low hum, he shrugged his jacket off his shoulders and draped it over a chair with his own scarf, moving to lean against the counter beside the other man. His eyes lazily watched his companion, who cocked an eyebrow at him, two mugs in hand.

“Tea’s fine,” Changkyun said as he examined the abstract paintings across the room, “Coffee’s a bit too bitter for my tastes.”

Smiling, Kihyun grabbed the kettle sitting on the stove and filled it with water, “I was hoping you’d say that. I’m not a huge fan of coffee myself.”

Once the kettle was settled on the hot stove, Kihyun leaned back against the counter as well, hip cocked to the side as he silently observed the other man.

“So… do you collect art? You’ve got quite a bit of similar looking paintings here…” Changkyun hesitantly offered, not sure what exactly he should say in this kind of situation. He’d really never met a guy quite like Kihyun before.

The other chuckled, scratching the back of his neck before pointing to the frame directly across from Changkyun.

“That one’s called _1986._ It's actually an original, but most of mine aren’t. God knows I can’t afford that shit. They’re mainly just prints… but all of them are by Cy Twombly,” He smiled fondly at the art pieces, “I think he’s a genius.”

Squinting at the aforementioned artwork, Changkyun can’t help but just see colorful drunken scribbles. It legit looked like a random guy scribbled some notes down, took a screenshot, and published it. Granted, Changkyun was a journalist and not an artist, so it’s not like he fully understood visual art like he did the written word. That didn’t change the fact that, to him, it looked like someone spilled juice on their lazily written French homework.

Most likely seeing Changkyun’s internal turmoil written clear as day on his face, Kihyun snorted, “It’s not supposed to make, like, sense, dude. It’s a concept.”

He walked over to the painting and made a grand stroke with his hand, tracing the lines on the painting.

“It’s supposed to mimic a child’s thought process. Child-like, but not _childish_ , if that makes sense?” While he talked, he started to look a bit embarrassed, red tinging his ears as he shrugged, “I dunno, it just appeals to me. Something about the… purity of the whole thing. It’s captivating, I guess. The concept of childhood...”

Kihyun trailed off, looking more and more uncomfortable with his explanation. Yet, with that explanation in mind, the paintings on the wall actually _did_ make slightly more sense to Changkyun. He walked until he was beside the other man, looping his arm through Kihyun’s while shaking his head.

“Don’t be shy,” He teased, rubbing his hand smoothly along Kihyun’s forearm, “You’re cute when you’re passionate.”

The other grunted and tried to remove his arm but Changkyun squeezed harder.

“Don’t make fun of me…” Kihyun's eyebrows tilting down as he avoided Changkyun’s gaze.

“I’m not making fun of you,” Changkyun said, his expression suddenly quite serious as he used his free hand to tilt Kihyun’s face towards him to make eye contact, “I may not see what you see, but I appreciate what you feel. I mean, I could start ranting about how William Faulkner is the best Southern Gothic writer of all time, and I wouldn’t expect you to follow, or even understand the shit I was saying.”

Kihyun frowned, but the tension in his body subsided, “Who’s William Faulkner?”

“Exactly, my friend, exactly.”

The other rolled his eyes, his lips tugging begrudgingly upwards, “Then what’s your passion, oh wise and poetic Mister Changkyun?”

“Funny you should say poetic. You almost hit it spot on. I’m a journalist, ya know, I write columns... and do free-lance on the side.”

As Changkyun spoke, Kihyun maneuvered them so that they were once again in the kitchen.  Gently pushing the other so that he fell back into a chair, Kihyun shocked Changkyun by smoothly situated himself onto his legs, not even batting an eyelash at their suddenly intimate position. _Holy freaking fuck_. Changkyun felt his face heat up at Kihyun’s boldness, nervous with the alcohol in his system slowly wearing out.

Lacing his arms around Changkyun’s neck, Kihyun smirked lightly, batting his eyelashes, “You seem the type. Quiet, not very vocal… most writers are like that…”

Feeling his heart thump aggressively in his ribcage, Changkyun hesitantly wrapped his arms around the other’s waist, suppressing a delighted shudder at the warmth being emitted from his body.

“Hmm… I guess that makes sense. So, what do _you_ do, Kihyun?” He asked lowly, appreciating the way the other’s name sounded as it rolled off his tongue. He had no idea where this fake bravado was coming from, but like hell he was going to let it slip away.

“I’m an interior designer. I guess I like to make rooms look pretty.”

“And now, suddenly everything makes sense.”

Rubbing his fingers over the nape of Changkyun’s neck, Kihyun grinned, managing to look both feral and obscenely angelic at once. He was so close the other could feel his breath fan out against his cheek, still sweet from the wine they shared during dinner. Suddenly, everything felt way too hot and way too cold, and Changkyun desperately wanted to cool down, escape the heat burning deep within his stomach. Yet he also wanted to pull Kihyun closer, press the other’s heat to his own, and drown in the fire licking its way into his fingertips. He watched helplessly as Kihyun seemed to get closer and closer, the lights around him blurring so the only thing he could focus on was the way Kihyun’s eyelashes gently framed his warm irises, his pupils blown ever so slightly.

The high-pitched scream of the tea kettle sliced through the thick air, making both men jump in surprise. Stifling his yelp, Kihyun quickly slid off Changkyun’s lap and lept to take the kettle from the stove. Taking a deep breath, Changkyun watched the way his companion's fingers trembled as he poured boiling water into the mugs, the tea packets already dropped in each cup.

When he was finished, Kihyun put the kettle back on the stove and placed his hands on the counter, not turning around to look at Changkyun, quietly staring at the steaming mugs in front of him. Changkyun nervously smoothed his hands over his thighs, feeling noticeably empty without the other’s close presence.

“Well, that was something.”

Nice, that was the perfect thing to say, Changkyun. A real way with words; a truly suave gentleman.

Kihyun shivered, tapping his fingers along the counter, before turning around and crossing his arms, “I’m sorry… that was… too much, I know.”

He looked so flustered that Changkyun wanted to reach out to him, settle his hands around his waist again and bring the other close.

“Sometimes I come across… too strong…” Kihyun said, aggressively pushing his hair out of his face, a hint of desperation lacing his voice. He picked one of the mugs up and handed it to Changkyun, who accepted it wordlessly.

Kihyun bit his lip, anxiety punctuating each word, “I’m sorry if I freaked you out.”

Changkyun shook his head, cradling the mug in his hands while his eyes roamed over the other’s face. He felt his heart stutter at the scene before him, at the gentle yet nervous way Kihyun was regarding him.

“I want you.” The words came out thicker and rougher than he would have wanted, something solid lodging in his throat. He didn’t even think those were the words he had originally intended to say. They just slipped out.

He watched the way Kihyun’s entire body seemed to tense up, mouth falling open slightly as his arms fell to his sides.

“You… what?”

Changkyun blushed furiously and placed his mug on the table. Guess it was now or never. _You did this to yourself, Changkyun._ He spread his legs ever so slightly and rested his hands on his thighs, mentally cringing at the cliche sexual message he was sending to other. But boy, was he _so incredibly turned on_ right now.

He smiled softly, his mild embarrassment replaced with something else entirely when he noticed Kihyun’s gaze drop heavily between his legs, “I didn’t come home with you for your tea, Kihyun.”

Kihyun visibly swallowed and inched forward until he hovered between Changkyun’s knees, close enough to feel the heat radiating off the other's body, but not enough to be touching.

“You sure?” He whispered, hands hovering over Changkyun’s face.

Changkyun sucked in a deep breath, pushing all his shame out the goddamn window, “Kihyun,” he started, watching the other's eyes narrow, “I want you just as much as you want me.” He said it almost coversationally, his deep voice having an unintentionally strong effect on the other. Kihyun’s eyes glazing over ever so slightly as he unconsciously licked his lips.

As if in a trance, Kihyun slowly moved until he straddled Changkyun’s legs, keeping his full weight from resting on the other man by settling his hands on the back of the chair.

“I’m gonna kiss you.” Kihyun murmured, eyes half-lidded while the other ran his palms over Kihyun’s thighs to rest on his hips.

“If you don’t, I will.”

Kihyun grinned, feral and beautiful all over again, and ducked down.

Kissing Kihyun was a wild thing, like dancing with a wild animal eager to fight, snarling in its cage. There was nothing easy or gentle about the way he kissed. It was like staring into the goddamn sun, like bathing in the hottest pool, while yearning for the burning release they each offered. Just the simple feeling of soft lips pressed against his own had Changkyun’s heart thumping painfully, begging for more contact, more _anything_. Changkyun released a low moan when the other lightly nipped at his lower lip and ran his tongue over the dull ache, using the opportunity to slip into Changkyun’s eager mouth. Kihyun’s tongue glided smoothly against his own, twisting up to lick the roof of his mouth before pulling back to place a wet, open-mouthed kiss against Changkyun’s lips. Kihyun let Changkyun press eagerly into his own mouth, welcoming his tongue with a groan that sent shivers down Changkyun’s spine.

“I thought you were so hot,” Kihyun murmured between kisses, slipping his hands into Changkyun’s hair as the latter pulled him closer, “when I saw you outside that fucking restaurant.”

Pulling back and placing one more kiss on Kihyun’s wet, slick mouth, Changkyun tilted to press his lips to the other’s jaw, mouthing along the sharp line and giving soft nips between kisses.

“You took my breath away,” He groaned, sliding down to suck at the juncture between Kihyun’s jaw and throat, “I couldn’t even,” Another kiss, “form a coherent sentence.”

Kihyun angled his neck to give the other better access, a sigh gracing his lips as Changkyun licked over the angry red mark on his throat. He couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out at Changkyun’s words.

“I remember… aha… You asked me to... be your boyfriend...” Kihyun let out a quiet gasp when Changkyun descended to kiss between his collarbones and neck, “I thought you were hot and really fuckin’ weird.”

Grinning against his throat, Changkyun blew lightly onto Kihyun’s skin and relished the shiver that raked through the other’s body.

“I’m definitely really fuckin’ weird.” He stopped in his ministrations to look up into Kihyun’s eyes, allowing his hands to slowly glide up the other’s side towards his ribs. “You weren’t wrong in that assessment.”

Leaning down to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth, Kihyun followed by pressing a chaste kiss to Changkyun’s nose, earning a surprised noise in return.

“Lucky for you,” he murmured, fingers tightening their grip in his companion’s hair, “I happen to _really_ like weird, sexy men…” Changkyun just couldn’t help the eye roll that statement caused him, earning him another low laugh in return.

Kihyun once again captured Changkyun’s lips between his own, demanding access to the other’s mouth, something Changkyun was more than willing to give. The sizzle underneath his skin swelled and crashed, a desperation mimicking the push and pull of the tides, dangerous and fierce. He felt full, yet not full enough; warm, but not as hot as he wanted to be. While Changkyun had kissed several people before, hell, he’d kissed dozens of so-called “skilled” people, none of them could even compare to this. The feeling of Kihyun’s tongue as it coaxed along his own, sending a sharp thrill down to his groin, a lulling warmth that slowly pooled there: it was magnetic. There was something sweetly and mind-numbingly addicting to Kihyun’s taste, to the way his lips molded to his own, to the soft sighs and moans that mingled with his own. He wanted to memorize all his noises and movements and write them down, immortalize the sheer incredible hunger of the other man with pen and paper.

He startled from his lull when Kihyun slowly pressed down, sliding their crotches together with an infuriatingly drawn-out pace. Changkyun moaned, feeling the other’s hard member through his pants as it slid over his own, and reached around to grab Kihyun’s ass, trying to push him down farther. The other swatted his hand away, pulling back, amusement dancing across his face.

“So needy, hmm, baby?” Kihyun practically purred, running his hands down Changkyun’s chest, keeping his body raised purposefully off the other’s. “You really wanna feel me, don’t you?”

Changkyun sent a quick shout-out to whatever deity out there that gave Kihyun such a bold and aggressive personality. Because, _hot damn_ , did Kihyun’s shamelessness turn him on. He could do nothing but nod helplessly and let Kihyun take control of the situation. Kihyun cocked his head to the side, letting his hands cease their descent above the dip of Changkyun’s pants.

“Didn’t hear you, _darling_ ,” He smirked, pushing underneath Changkyun’s sweater, fingertips dancing softly against his skin, “How much do you want me, Changkyun?”

Changkyun’s mouth felt painfully dry as he bucked up in response, struggling to choke back a lewd sound that threatened to leave his throat. Still, Kihyun refused to let him get what he wanted, his hand firmly holding the other’s torso down. He dug his fingers sharply into Changkyun’s hips, eyes alive with an intensity that had the other man reeling.

“I need you to tell me,” He whispered, dipping his mouth low so it brushed the shell of Changkyun’s ear, voice warm and honey-smooth, “just how needy you are.”

Finding his voice, Changkyun licked his lips and moved his hands so they were stroking Kihyun’s inner thighs, appreciating the way the other’s legs instinctively fell open more.

“I need you,” He murmured, voice thick and low as he gazed at the other man from under his lashes, “I need you so fucking much.” A sharp sensation of pride jolted through his body at the pleased expression on Kihyun’s face: It egged him on.

He moved slightly to brush his fingers lightly against the bulge in Kihyun’s pants, “I wanna feel you, please... let me feel you…”

Holding back a choked whimper, Kihyun slid forward so that their clothed erections were pressed firmly together, eliciting moans from both of them as heat met heat. He ground down faster than he had before, causing Changkyun to press his eyes shut as a wanton keen slipped out of his lips. Fuck, it was hot, so impossibly hot, he could feel it clawing viciously at his chest, begging to get out.

Kihyun pressed his fingers underneath Changkyun’s chin, tilting his face up towards him again, “Baby, look at me.” He whispered, a quiet demand that echoed in the still apartment.

Groaning, Changkyun eyelids fluttered open, allowing himself to gaze heavily into the other man’s eyes. During this time, Kihyun hadn’t ceased his movements, each grind down punctuated by another breathy moan from the man above him, the fingers on the back of his neck starting to tremble from the exertion of keeping his body suspended. Changkyun stilled the man’s movements, digging the pads of his fingers into his hipbones and bringing him flush against his chest. He hungrily went in for another kiss, devouring the whine that left Kihyun’s mouth before it could be released and squeezed tighter as a spike of arousal flared in him, knowing his fingers would leave behind delicate purple marks in the morning.

Pulling back, Kihyun peppered small kisses on Changkyun’s lips, squirming in his lap to get him to release his grip.

“C’mon,” He murmured softly against the others mouth, “let’s go somewhere else.”

He slid off Changkyun’s lap as the latter held in a noise of annoyance at the sudden lack of warmth. Changkyun once again found himself being pulled along by Kihyun, the other’s hand gripping his tightly as he tugged him to the single room in the apartment. _If Kihyun were to pull me off a fuckin’ cliff_ , Changkyun vaguely thought somewhere far off in his mind, _I would gladly let him at this point in my life._ Groaning  to himself, he internally winced at his own stupidity: man, he really _was_ a goner.

Kihyun aggressively shut the door before kicking his shoes off, encouraging Changkyun to follow suit. As he tugged his sweater over his head, Changkyun couldn’t help but skim across the room, taking in the environment crafted by his companion: the portraits by the nightstand, the laptop resting neatly on the desk, the soft plum throw strewn across the bed, the open window where the flashing city lights streamed greedily onto the wood floor. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but something about the small bedroom seemed to be a physical extension of the man in front of him. Somehow, it made his heart ache.

 _What the hell, Changkyun_. He seriously didn’t even recognize himself. What, was he now some hapless and hopeless romantic that fell in love with their one-night stands? Apparently so. Minhyuk was definitely gonna rip him a new one. _Ok hold up, no, don’t think about Minhyuk right now, no, that’s not good, change that right now. Think about the really hot guy taking their sweater off in front of you, yeah, that’s better._

Kihyun stopped and stared at him, sweater halfway up his body. After what seemed like an eternity, he suddenly started cackling, bending over at the waist to clutch his stomach. However, since he was currently tangled in the sweater, he failed to realize he couldn’t balance or actually grab said stomach, and promptly fell face first onto the floor. Changkyun gasped and, panicking, bent down to help him up, only to end up misjudging the distance and smacking the other in the face instead, resulting in Kihyun letting out a howl of pain and rolling away from him. The latter reach up to rub his face, only to realize his arms were still tangled in the sweater, which set him into an even harder fit of laughter which echoing loudly throughout the room.

Thoroughly confused and shocked at the rapid spiral out of control that just took place, Changkyun plopped down on the floor next to Kihyun, placing a hand on the exposed portion of Kihyun’s stomach. He gave it an experimental scratch, mildly pleased when Kihyun grunted contently. Making no move to escape the confines of his sweater, Kihyun let out another bark of laughter as he grinned brilliantly at Changkyun.

“You realized you said all of that out loud, right?” Kihyun wheezed, tears starting to gather in the corners of his eyes, “Who’s Minhyuk?”

Realization slowly dawned on Changkyun, his face lighting up like a goddamn red lantern as embarrassment flooding through his body. Groaning in shame, he slapped his other hand to his forehead.

“Uhhh… Well, fuck. Uhm he’s my roommate.” Changkyun frowned bashfully, “He’s the _literal_ worst. No joke. He’s actually the reason I was out and about getting food today because he sex-aisled me at 5 pm… ha ha…”

Kihyun snorted, eyes fond as he wiggled closer to Changkyun, “Good, for a minute there I was worried I had some serious competition.”

Grimacing, Changkyun faux-gagged dramatically, “God no, no way in hell. You’re so much cuter than him. Loads nicer too,” he paused to rake his eyes over the other’s torso, “Now, do _you_ realize you’re still stuck in your sweater?”

“Yeah I dunno… I kind gave up once I hit the ground. Also after you hit my face, that kinda hurt.”

Changkyun blushed, “Sorry about that, everything was happening so fast I panicked.”

Smiling at each other, a comfortable pause fell between them, the light from outside trickling around the room, crafting shadows and shapes amongst the surfaces. Changkyun’s hand still rested softly on the other’s stomach, a warm, reassuring weight.

Abruptly, Kihyun cut through the quiet, “I’m still hard.”

Choking on laughter, Changkyun became incredibly aware of his own moderately hard dick. It had gotten a bit weaker after that entire… event… but it was _definitely_ still feeling some type of way.

“Same,” he replied, lightly tapping his hand on the other’s belly button, aware of the way his stomach tensed in response.

“Should we… like… do something about it?” Kihyun pressed, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Changkyun scoffed, “What happened to the sexual dirty-talker who was straddling my lap earlier?”

“He got trapped in his own sweater, that’s what happened,” he paused, winking and giving Changyun an air kiss, “Come help me take it off.”

Holding back at a groan at the sheer greasiness of the other man, Changkyun moved forward to hoist the sweater above Kihyun’s head. Once it was clear of his head, Kihyun slumped back down to the ground, brown hair fanning out around his head like a soft, fuzzy halo. The city lights painted over his chest, a silent invitation to touch the skin they danced on.

The mood in the room suddenly shifted. Gone was the light-hearted humor, the mild embarrassment disintegrating to mere dust as the two men made eye contact. Changkyun swallowed thickly, once again marveling at the power Kihyun held over him, at the way he hung on the other male's every breath and movement. His eyes wandered over the other’s naked shoulders, dipping down to his chest and small, hard nipples, then to the course hair that trailed down between his hipbones. Changkyun admired the soft plane of the other’s stomach, the lack definition showing in the other man’s gentle curves. He wanted to touch and mark; to be touched and marked.

“Come ‘ere.” Kihyun murmured softly, holding a hand out to his companion. Changkyun could never deny Kihyun, now could he? He was pulled forward until he hovered mere inches over the other’s face, their breath mingling and warming the air.

“You’re so demanding,” Changkyun said lowly, watching the way Kihyun’s mouth opened fractionally, tongue darting out to wet his lower lip, “Always telling me what to do.”

Kihyun slowly arched up so their lower halves were pressed flushed together, grinding ever so slightly against Changkyun’s clothed member, the ghost of a smirk fleeting across his face. Sucking in a quick breath, Changkyun’s right hand quickly moving to press up against the small of Kihyun’s back, holding him in place. He could feel the other’s dick twitch slightly in response to the action.

“I think you like it,” Kihyun hissed as Changkyun ground down and forward, “You like being bossed around, don’t you, _baby_?”

Shuddering, Changkyun unwillingly released a soft keen, giving Kihyun the answer he needed. Grabbing the other by the back of the neck, Kihyun twisted so that their positions were reversed, his own body now hovering over the other male’s. Gripping Changkyun by the back of his thighs, he pulled him closer so he was nestled between his legs, once again slotting their crotches smoothly together and causing both men to emit shamelessly heated groans. He halted in his actions, hands hovering over Changkyun’s pants, gazing up into the other’s half-lidded eyes.

“What do ya want?” He asked, running his finger over the zipper and lightly cupping the other’s dick through the cloth, “Want me to suck you off?”

Changkyun bit his lip, worrying the flesh between his teeth before pressing harder into Kihyun’s hand. His veins thrummed wildly with pleasure and need, a heavy fire churning in the core of his body, his skin prickling into goosebumps simply from the other's touch. The hungry glint in Kihyun’s eyes made his fingers twitch, his hips stutter, and he wanted more, more, _everything_ ; needed to be claimed, to be devoured and spit back up.

“I want you to fuck me,” Changkyun’s voice was barely more than a whisper, almost inaudible due to his low tone, “Wanna feel you.” He repeated what he had said earlier in the kitchen, this time a fervent desperation tinging his words, sliding like molten gold in the electric atmosphere.

Kihyun didn’t even attempt to hold back his noise of approval at Changkyun’s response, his own dick starting to get uncomfortable in his fitted pants. Lowering down to place a soft kiss on the other’s navel, Kihyun quickly unzipped his pants, pulling them and the briefs down while letting Changkyun work them the rest of the way off. Exposed in the minimum light and strewn completely naked before the other, Changkyun rapidly became self-conscious under Kihyun’s blatant scrutiny. He had never before been ashamed of his dick, but the way Kihyun was staring at it was starting to give him second doubts, prickling his skin with pin-needle nerves. Moving instinctively to close his legs, he was stopped by Kihyun’s hands on his thighs, the latter’s thumbs moving in small, feather-light circles as his palms moved upwards.

“You’re beautiful,” Kihyun’s pupils were dilated, hungry, frothing; an animal snapping at the bit, “Don’t you dare try to cover yourself.”

Changkyun flushed, warmth traveling to his face and lower, a different kind of heat pooling there altogether. He raised his arm to cover his face, turning his head to the side, willing, no, _begging_ his awkwardness not to return.

“Please,” he started, lump catching in his throat, “I wanna… see you too.” He shifted his eyes to look back at the other male, whose gaze had darkened magnificently, beautiful lips pulling back as a soft hiss washed over Changkyun’s tongue.

A literal growl tore its way from Kihyun’s throat. He immediately moved to comply with Changkyun’s wish, hands making short work of his own pants and underwear, pushing them down so they were bunched around his knees, unwilling or unable to bother taking them fully off. Kihyun’s dick, free from his clothing, bobbed upward against the man’s stomach, the flushed head slightly wet with precum, liquid glowing under the soft light. Changkyun felt his mouth go dry as he traced the shape, from the pink tip to the prominent veins, down to the smooth skin where the base connected to his sack. While Changkyun was slightly longer, the other man was fucking _thick,_ the girth of his dick alone making Changkyun shudder in anticipation.

“You think I’m thick, huh?” Kihyun murmured demurely, an amused expression on his features as he moved so he hovered above Changkyun.

 _Oh fuck_ , he’d said that out loud. Again. Man, he really was losing control of his mental and physical voice. Where the hell ha his filter gone off on vacation to? Moving again so his face was covered by his arm, Changkyun let out a strangled noise of shame, stopped by Kihyun who gently moved his arm back, a soft smile on his face.

“Stop getting shy. You’re too cute.” Glittering teeth shined at him.

“Aishh, don’t call me cute when I’m butt-ass naked.”

“Fine, you’re so _sexy_ , how’s that, darling?”

“Fuck you.”

“Gladly.”

Without warning, Kihyun wrapped his small fingers around Changkyun’s dick, earning a sharp, pleased groan from him. He teasingly ran his fist down and back up Changkyun's shaft, twisting near the top before moving his thumb in a slow circle around the head, movements deliberate and cruel. Whimpering, Changkyun thrust upwards, eyes fluttering shut at the tightness Kihyun’s hand provided around his dick, pulling him further in, farther down. There were wild flames licking up his limbs, an inferno blazing in his gut that sent tremors towards his fingertips, his toes. He surged up to capture Kihyun’s lips again, pushing into the other’s mouth without hesitation, bringing his hand up to caress the red marks he had scored on Kihyun’s throat. Moaning into the kiss, Kihyun abruptly pulled back, taking his hand and entire body with him. Changkyun could have wailed at the loss, instead settling on an annoyed grunt as he stared disheveledly up at the other man.

“Go lay down on the bed,” Kihyun lightly smacked Changkyun’s knee before he turned and walked around to the other side of the room, opening the bedside table drawer.

Picking himself up, Changkyun moved and threw himself onto the bed, his body sinking into the soft mattress, unable to hold back his deep sigh of pleasure at the incredibly soothing sensation. Gazing up at the ceiling with unfocused eyes, he reached down with his own hand to caress the shaft of his penis as he waited, thrumming with an aching pleasure. He bit back a gasp when he dug his thumb into the slit, precum beading and spilling over the head, slippery wet to the touch. Closing his eyes, he felt the bed dip to his left and keened lowly when a light hand caressed the soft skin of his upper thigh, coaxing him to further spread his legs.

He opened his eyes to find Kihyun kneeling between his legs, liquid gold sizzling in his veins, melting his innards into lava.The other man already had a condom rolled over his cock and was squeezing lube onto his fingers, rubbing them together to warm it up, the image of his fingers gliding slickly over one another a wonderfully promising image. He could feel the muscles in his lower half tense, anticipation pounding through his blood, cascading and swirling with reckless abandon. His heartbeat pounded in his ears and his dick twitched on his stomach; a groan flew past his lips when the movement drew Kihyun’s gaze.

Kihyun leaned forward, one hand gently caressing Changkyun’s erection while his other hand hovered over his entrance, a question written over his face.

“How much do you want me to…” For once, he actually looked bashful, “Stretch you…”

Changkyun couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled in his throat, “You’re touching my dick, about to shove your fingers up my ass, and your blushing because you have to ask me how prepared I am?” Kihyun really was a work of art.

Said man huffed in annoyance, rolling his eyes before reaching down and pressing the pad of his finger against Changkyun’s entrance, drawing a soft sigh out of him. Willing himself to relax, Changkyun spread his legs farther, taking long and slow breaths, slightly mesmerized when his muscles finally went slack and Kihyun’s finger pushed smoothly in. In an attempt to distract himself from the initial burn, he sent out a silent prayer to the heavens above that Kihyun had trimmed his nails.

Changkyun jolted with the addition of not one, but two additional digits. Hissing at the dull pain, he pushed back against the fingers, willing them deeper, attempting to angle them towards his prostate.

“You just… ah… had to go all in, huh?” His hips started to pick a leisurely pace as he ground down on Kihyun’s fingers, whatever initial discomfort he had felt morphing into warm satisfaction.

Strangely silent, the other man hooked his fingers upwards and brushed firmly over Changkyun’s prostate, mouth slightly falling open when Changkyun arched upwards in response. He continued massaging that spot, gazing with hooded eyes as Changkyun moaned, his hips stuttering and velvety walls flexing, sweat glistening on his skin in crystalline drops.

“Kihyun…” Changkyun hissed, bucking his hips up again, sweetly sharp pleasure sizzling up the column of his spine, “I need more, fuck, stop…”

Cocking an eyebrow, Kihyun abruptly removed his fingers, slipping them out to wipe them on the sheets. Feeling strangely empty without the other man’s digits, Changkyun involuntarily clenched; sweat dripped down his collarbones onto his chest, the air uncomfortably hot and humid and stagnant.

The other man sat back on his heels, liberally applying lube over his erect member while he looked directly at Changkyun. “What do you want, baby?” He pumped his hand up and down his dick, smiling at the way Changkyun’s eyes hungrily followed the movement, “You gotta tell me…”

Changkyun shuddered, running his hand up his body to rub his own nipple, a low-pitched whine echoing in the room, “I want..." A pause, " _need_ you to fuck me, God, just fuck me.” He choked out, voice rumbling in his chest.

Apparently satisfied, Kihyun nodded, leaning down to kiss the insides of Changkyun’s thighs before hoisting him up by the hips, coaxing his legs over his shoulders. Changkyun could feel the tip of his dick nudge against his entrance, a sharp gasp leaving his throat. Kihyun looked down at him, the air heavy, unbearable, a limbo between pleasure and reality, and Changkyun gave a minuscule nod.

When Kihyun slid inside, there was a brief moment of silence, a tense tension stagnating between them, Changkyun blinking rapidly as pain shot through him at the stretch-induced sting. He sucked in a couple deep inhales, feeling his sensitive insides quiver around Kihyun’s length while his fingers gripped the sheets, knotting the soft material between his knuckles. He felt so fucking full, so stretched by Kihyun, thicker and better than anything he’d experienced in a long goddamn time.

“Move.” He commanded, desperately needing something, anything- some kind of friction to lessen the dull, pounding ache.

Kihyun pulled all the way out and pushed gently back in to the hilt, scrutinizing the expression on Changkyun’s face, looking for direction, affirmation. Inhaling out his nose, Changkyun gave a thumbs up, evoking a soft laugh from the other man as he thrust in again, fingers tightening their grip on his ass. He could feel his walls start to loosen and adapt to Kihyun’s girth, a sticky warmth jolting into his groin with each drag of the other’s dick.

“I want to fucking bend you in half,” Kihyun breathed, thrusts picking up in speed, rocking Changkyun’s body against the mattress, “Will you let me do that?”

A broken moan ripped through Changkyun as the other man pressed his legs down and pulled his ass up, dick rubbing firmly against that spot, that _oh so nice_ spot, making him see cosmos and stars and sweet light behind his closed eyelids. His mind was in overdrive, his body quivering in indulgence as Kihyun glided inside him. Grounding him. Knocking him down. Tossing him over the edge. God, it’s been too long, the feeling of being fucked like a long-lost memory flickering across the screen.

Blinking misty eyes up at Kihyun, he opened his mouth, words fading as their bodies rolled together, sweat sliding and sticking between their limbs. His fingers burned like red-hot iron. He clenched and Kihyun whimpered, further bending Changkyun’s lower torso so that his mouth hovered over Changkyun’s, his warm breath awash on the other’s skin, the angle allowing Kihyun to sink deliciously deep, deeper, into his warmth. The pressure grew unbearably heavier in Changkyun’s groin, his dick smearing a pretty trail of precum on his stomach to match each lewd slap of skin on skin. Distantly registering the obscene creaking of the bed springs as well, he would have been thoroughly embarrassed if he wasn’t so far gone. He was so close, so fucking close, but- good God- he needed to touch himself, he needed to quench the throbbing heat, his neglected cock an angry shade of dark pink.

Sensing Changkyun’s struggle, Kihyun’s hand snaked from his hip to grip the base of the other’s dick, squeezing lightly, mesmerized by the arch of Changkyun’s back, the jut of his adam’s apple as he tossed his head back. Kihyun’s own hips stuttered, his orgasm teetering ever closer as his thrusts became more feral and sporadic, nails digging into Changkyun’s ass and his other hand crafting light, skillful strokes.

“Fuck, Kihyun, c'mon…” Changkyun didn’t even know what he was asking for- maybe it was for release, the permission to orgasm, he wasn't sure- only that he was desperate for it, his words trailing off into a slur of curses and Kihyun’s name, “Babe, _please_.” He choked out at last, the tightness in his gut almost unbearable.

“I got you, darling, I have you.” Kihyun murmured gently against his lips, rubbing his thumb over the slit of Changkyun's dick. He fucked harder into Changkyun so his erection dug firmly into the man’s prostate, the glide slippery and wet and agonizingly sweet.

Changkyun wasn’t exactly sure when he came; whether it was directly after those words, or if it was minutes, hours, after. He didn’t make a sound, eyes squeezing shut while his mouth fell open, cock twitching as thick ropes of cum coated his stomach along with Kihyun’s hand, stroking him through his orgasm. A choking sound died in his throat as wave after wave of pleasure ripped through his body, vision clouding a hazey gray. Kihyun’s hips shook with effort, thrusting roughly through Changkyun’s release, groaning when the other clenched hard around his dick, an impossibly tight fit. Changkyun held the other’s gaze lazily, body slumping and going pliant as he let out a soft croon.

“C’mon, Kihyun.” He reached up to run his fingers over the other’s nipples, rubbing the hard nubs as he licked his lips, “Come for me.” And that was it.

When Kihyun came, he emitted a lilting moan that, to Changkyun, sounded angelic, beautiful even; the sound vibrating between their intertwined forms as Kihyun leaned to press forehead to forehead, sweat beading on their brows. Changkyun cupped Kihyun’s face, inhaling the other man’s short breaths in a kiss, lips slotting together perfectly, almost too lovingly, an intimate gesture that didn’t belong to either of them.

They laid like that for awhile, the heat slowly leaving their bodies, the stickiness and damp flesh becoming slightly gross. Pulling back, Kihyun dropped Changkyun’s legs from his shoulders and slid his softening cock out of the other, grimacing at the wet sound of lube. He tied the condom and tossed it, presumably, Changkyun observed, to where his trash can was located. Stretching out his cramped legs, Changkyun tried not to muse too much when the other man slipped wordlessly off the bed and towards the bathroom. It was, after all, a one-night stand, Changkyun told himself. It's not like he needed to be coddled post-sex. If he tried hard enough, he could _almost_ believe his own thoughts, could _almost_ forget his own disappointment.

Kihyun reappeared, towel in hand, plopping back down on the bed, his soft dick curling prettily against his thigh. He reached over and gently wiped the cum off Changkyun’s chest, moving down to remove the excess lube smeared over his hole. Changkyun watched him, heartbeat picking up in his chest, the tenderness in his companion’s actions leaving him breathless. Tossing the towel back towards the direction of the bathroom, Kihyun moved so his body was pressed along Changkyun’s side, hand coming to rest on the other’s lower stomach, running along the coarse trail of hair there. Changkyun stared; Kihyun stared back.

Clearing his throat, Kihyun rested his head in the crook of Changkyun’s arm, cheek rubbing gently against his bicep. “Did you like it?” He asked quietly, a stark contrast to the man who had been shamelessly fucking into him earlier.

Angling his body slightly so he was facing the other male, Changkyun snorted softly, “What do you think? I haven’t come that hard in… like… years, dude.”

Kihyun giggled. He literally fucking giggled. How in the world was this the same guy?

Silence stretched between them, though it wasn’t quite still enough to be uncomfortable. The city lights danced over their naked forms, awash with stories neither of them would ever know, a kaleidoscope of whites, yellows, and reds. The steady, persistent jargon of cars and trucks and people filtered through the room and Changkyun felt strange. When he had accidentally glimpsed Kihyun outside that Italian restaurant, with perfectly styled hair and eyes that glittered, Changkyun didn’t think he would ever end up here, sprawled in the man’s bed with his heart hurting in all the right ways.

“Why did you bring _me_ home?” He whispered in awe, not really expecting an answer from the other. His index finger tracing over the line of Kihyun’s jaw, the other’s slightly damp skin already beginning to cool in the room’s chill air.

Kihyun smiled, tilting his head till soft, soft lips pressed against Changkyun’s palm.

“I thought you were beautiful.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah so.... top!kihyun lmao got YA  
> if u read this whole thing congrats bc its a mess  
> hmu @kihyunnybee on tumblr


	3. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AYOooo oh my god so I actually decided to continue this particular story bc I don't feel like I've fleshed this out as much as I want. So here's a lil like filler chapter before I continue on with the larger plot. Fair warning, it's just sloppily written pwp lmaoo

Sunlight streamed through the window, coating the room with bright, noisy color. Changkyun’s eyes fluttered, heavy with sleep, as he squinted against the intruding light. Sighing, he rolled over, feeling the warm body beside him shift slightly against the bed to make room. He grazed his fingertips over Kihyun’s hips, letting his hand settle in the dip of his waist. The other’s face twitched at the movement, nose scrunching gently before relaxing once again. Changkyun was entranced.

He had never considered himself a romantic, someone who fell in love over a cup of tea and stormy nights. He didn’t watch sappy movies, never wrote sweet poems about soft hair and gentle smiles. And yet, here he was, fingers moving in slow, aimless patterns on another man’s skin, drinking in inky black lashes, sparkling dust, and delicate veins. Holy fuck, he was losing his goddamn _mind_. What was next, a gentle serenade by a candle-lit window? Changkyun really wouldn't put it past himself.

His hand drifted upward, settling against the side of Kihyun’s neck as he felt the steady pulse thrumming beneath his skin. The beat quickened and his companion stirred, eyes blinking slowly while his entire body shifted in a leisurely stretch. Letting out what could only be described as a purr, Kihyun gazed warmly at Changkyun, his face gently molding into an easy smile.

“G’mornin’, sunshine.” Kihyun whispered, voice still hoarse from sleep. Smiling in return, Changkyun felt his chest constrict at the fondness written openly on the other man’s face. When he looked at Kihyun, he felt like he had known him for years, decades even. He honestly couldn’t believe he had only met him yesterday, not when the other’s fingertips already felt like some absurd and abstract concept of home. The intensity frightened him and made him feel unbelievably stupid, but it also excited him, caused the blood to pound through his ears in a bittersweet way that made him desperate.

Moving so his arm draped lightly over Kihyun’s chest, Changkyun pressed a feather-soft kiss to the other’s collarbone, smiling against his skin when Kihyun’s breath hitched in response.

“You’re gorgeous in the morning,” he murmured lightly, pulling back to admire the warm light that adorned Kihyun’s torso, his skin glowing soft and golden.

Kihyun chuckled, bringing a hand to cup the back of Changkyun’s neck and pull him closer. “I’m gorgeous all the time,” He teased, pressing Changkyun to his chest and holding him there, arms keeping the other man from moving.

Squirming under his hold, Changkyun snorted before lightly digging his fingers into Kihyun’s sides, earning him a hiccup-like laugh.

“Don’t you _dare_ .” Kihyun said, eyes narrowing despite the smile blooming on his face. “Changkyun, don’t even _think_ about tickling me, I swear to God.”

Laughing loudly under the other’s scrutiny, Changkyun removed his hands and moved them so they rested in the slopes of his companion’s navel. He lightly rubbed the skin there, watching how Kihyun’s eyelashes fluttered under the ministration. Observing the way Kihyun lightly sucked in his bottom lip, a delicate red flush creeping up his neck, Changkyun felt his body tense involuntarily. God, he wanted to watch him come undone again, wanted to see the sweat drip down his body and feel his chest shudder with each breath.

“Hey,” He whispered, letting Kihyun’s eyes take their time focusing on him, rotating his thumbs in gentle circles. “Can I blow you?”

Kihyun’s eyes widened slightly, lips parting as his tongue darted out to wet them. Emitting a soft whine, he gave a wordless nod, canting his hips upward ever so slightly in response. Stifling a chuckle at the other’s actions, Changkyun dipped his head down to nose at the dark hair below Kihyun’s stomach, pressing light kisses to his navel as he clutched at Kihyun’s hips. He loved the way the other smelled, like sharp sweat and lavender soap, something so natural and inviting he already felt heady from its scent. He pressed his mouth to the base of the other’s dick, letting his warm breath wash over the smooth skin, enjoying the sharp breath that left Kihyun’s throat at the content. The other man was already fully hard, and Changkyun felt a sweet thrum of elation knowing his touch alone had caused it.

He pressed his tongue to the base and slowly, agonizingly dragged his tongue to the tip, sucking the head shallowly into his mouth before moving down to repeat the action. Keeping his tongue broad and flat, he gently mapped the other’s skin and veins, the throbbing heat of Kihyun’s dick a sharp contrast to the wetness of his tongue. Changkyun lapped at the head and took him into his mouth again, this time leisurely swirling his tongue over the tip as he looked up at the other. Kihyun let out a guttural moan at the eye contact, staring unabashedly back into Changkyun’s dark eyes as he fisted his hand into the bed sheet, struggling to keep himself from thrusting forward into the wetness of Changkyun’s mouth. The air between them sizzled and screamed, desperate for more, more skin and teeth and nails, and something else, something intangible.

Kihyun tasted salty and sweet, nothing too surprising, his skin velvety soft against Changkyun’s lips. He hollowed his cheeks and moved down the thick shaft, bringing his hand up to wrap around the base, his fist meeting his lips when he moved up and down. For Changkyun, he had always preferred being a bit messy when he gave head, liked the wet slick slide between his hands and lips.

The sounds leaving Kihyun’s mouth consumed him completely, so gorgeous they left his head spinning, a sweet medley of moans and gasping sighs that trembled from the other’s throat, sending electrifying shudders through Changkyun’s chest to his fingertips. Taking the head back into his mouth, he groaned around the other’s girth, the vibrations causing the other man to involuntarily thrust up into his mouth. He felt so fucking good, the hot skin on his tongue throbbing and salty as he swallowed around it, a string of drool running from his lips as Kihyun’s dick slipped from his mouth.

The other suddenly sat up, using his hand to grip Changkyun’s hair and move him closer. Dragging his dick from Changkyun’s lips to his cheek, he stared, mouth slack at the sight before him, of the other’s swollen, wet lips and the trails of precum.

“Holy fuck,” Kihyun murmured hoarsely, “You look so good, baby, so good like this.” He used his thumb to gently part the other’s lips as he nudged his dick back inside, moving his left hand so it cupped the back of Changkyun’s head. Making his jaw go slack, Changkyun slowly moved down Kihyun’s shaft, inch by inch taking the other’s dick until he felt it hit the back of his throat. Everything was on fire, his lips, Kihyun’s hands, the air itself, and Changkyun swallowed around the other’s length in desperation, needing movement, something, _anything,_ whatever Kihyun wanted he would do.

Letting out a soft hiss, Kihyun pulled out slightly before pushing back in, testing the water, silently watching how much Changkyun could take. Whining around Kihyun’s dick, Changkyun looked up at the other with slightly watery eyes, an open challenge in his slack jaw, hot tongue, and hungry eyes.

Tightening his grip in the other’s hair, Kihyun pulled out again, resting his tip against Changkyun’s lips.

“Can I…?” Kihyun trailed off, the question dying on his lips as Changkyun licked a slow circle around his tip.

“Fuck my mouth?” Changkyun finished, mouth hovering over the other, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. Somehow being around Kihyun gave him bravado, a sense of confidence that he never usually had. He never felt sexy, never really found himself desirable, and yet here he was, as though Kihyun was the holy grail itself, giving him some strange power that allowed him to, for lack of better words, _feel himself_. And right about now, he would rather be feeling a certain someone’s dick in his mouth again.

“Oh, uh, yes.” Kihyun choked out, flushing a brilliant pink up his neck. Changkyun would never cease to be amazed at how the man could switch from cocky and sensual to nervous in less than 20 seconds. It made the other even more incredible, a feat that astounded Changkyun endlessly.

He licked his lips and purposefully gazed at the other under his eyelashes, “Well, you gonna do it?” he said, voice dipping an octave into what he knew was dangerous territory for the other.

Breath hitching slightly, Kihyun once again gripped Changkyun’s hair, pushing his dick into his mouth. He began picking up a steady pace, unabashedly thrusting in a wild yet gentle sort of way, openly moaning his appreciation.

Changkyun loved it, loved the stretch, the wetness, the complete mess of the whole ordeal. It felt so raw and brutal, so different from the strange intimacy they had shared last night it was almost relieving. His jaw fucking ached and his cheeks were sore, but it was worth it, watching the way the beautiful man above him quickly disintegrated into sloppy thrusts and shaky thighs.

When Kihyun was close, Changkyun could feel the tremor from his hand on his scalp, saw the sharp intake of breath as his hips jerked and stuttered. _Holy fuck_ , he was gorgeous.

“Changkyun, I’m…. oh God…” Kihyun breathed out, eyes rolling back, sweat dripping down the smooth lines of his neck.

Changkyun hollowed his cheeks and sucked, tongue flat under the head, and the other came, hot sticky liquid spilling into his mouth and down his throat. He swallowed, taking everything the other gave him eagerly, licking at the excess white that slipped from his mouth. The other was still shallowly thrusting, eyes wide as he stared down at him.

Groaning, Kihyun slipped from his mouth, letting himself sink onto the bed so that he was level with the other. Moving into Changkyun’s space, he pressed a soft open-mouthed kiss on the other, something Changkyun eagerly accepted.

“How do you do that?” Kihyun asked breathlessly, kissing the corner of his mouth.

“Do what?”

“Seem so effortless when you’re doing something that hot.”

Changkyun laughed. He’d never been described like that before in his life. “I’m really not 'cause I try really hard. Matter of fact, my mouth hurts like shit.”

Worry suddenly clouded the other’s eyes and he quickly reached up to cup the other’s face, “Oh God, fuck, I’m so sorry, I didn’t, oh I was too rough... I.. oh fuck.. I’m sorry-”

Changkyun cut him off with a hand over his mouth, “Kihyun, shut up, I’m fine. I was kidding, ok? I wanted to do that,” He laughed, resting his own hands on top of Kihyun’s, “I’m just giving you shit.”

Huffing, Kihyun looked down at Changkyun’s own half hard dick and started to wrap his hand around it, only to be swatted away by Changkyun. The other stated at him in open bewilderment.

“I'm good, you don't have to do anything,” Changkyun said, “I kinda just wanted to suck your dick.”

“You don't… but…. why wouldn't…” Kihyun stuttered, confusion clear on his face, causing Changkyun to realize his action could be seen as a rejection of the other man.

He shrugged, leaning forward to kiss Kihyun’s Adam's apple before laying down on the bed, “I like making people feel good.” He stated simply, wrapping his arms around Kihyun’s torso and dragging him down.

Stifling a snort, Kihyun relaxed into his grip, letting out a ragged sigh against his warm skin, “You’re really so goddamn weird,” He murmured, “Never met anyone like you before…”

Changkyun hummed, gently massaging the other's scalp, “And do you like it?”

The other looked at him, eyes bright with an energy Changkyun would eagerly drown in, lips turned up in a soft smile.

“Yeah… I think I do.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ogni uccello il suo nido è bello.
> 
> Changkyun gets his sad ass home and ponders life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah long time no see! lmao yeah idk what this even is anymore!! consistent tone and style? dont know her.... i guess im just along for the ride yeehaw yall  
> also theres now texting bc im weak and love text fics

It was around noon when Changkyun finally stumbled back to his apartment. He cracked his neck and groaned, his entire body throbbing with dull pain. Wincing as he unlocked the door, he realized he may have overextended himself sexually during the last 12 hours. Ah yes. The last 12 hours… Changkyun still couldn’t believe last night. Rather, he felt a vague and numb dissociation about the whole ordeal. How in the world did he convince Kihyun to take him home? Why was Kihyun so damn hot? And most importantly, how did he have this guy’s dick in his ass for under 20 minutes and manage to fall pathetically in love? All important questions, and all without answers.

As he entered his apartment, he threw his keys haphazardly on the counter and kicked the door shut, the sound echoing loudly in the silent space. A startled grunt made him look up. Across from him, his roommate stood frozen in place, eyes comically wide as his face turned bright red. Brain still sluggish, it took Changkyun a couple seconds to realize exactly why the other looked so terrified. At the exact instant when he registered Minhyuk’s fully naked torso, another equally naked body came padding out from around the corner. Changkyun’s eyes almost bulged out of his head. The guy was fucking _ripped_.

“Hey babe, have you seen-” The other male broke off as he saw Changkyun, words choking in his throat.

That seemed to snap Minhyuk out of it. Emitting what could only be described as a high-strung yodel, he shoved the other man backward, reaching down to block the other man’s private area while simultaneously trying to cover himself.

“Holy fuckin-! Excuse us- shit!” He half-screamed, half-cried, pushing the other back around the corner.

Still rooted to the same spot, Changkyun registered the sound of his roommate’s door slamming shut a few seconds later. Well, at least he could spend the next couple hours scrubbing his eyes with bleach. Home sweet home, right? Bringing a hand up to rub at his temple, Changkyun made his way over to his room, fully intent on laying down in the shower and washing away the previous event from his memory with every fiber of his being. Each day, he got closer and closer to strangling Minhyuk with his bare hands. He couldn’t even bring himself to be surprised at this point. It felt more like a lingering sense of disappointment, kind of like that of a stern father; a disappointed father tired of his son’s thot ass.

But that person Minhyuk had been with… Changkyun shook his head. _No, don’t think about that man’s body. He called Mihyuk “babe,” so he’s probably a terrible and unfunny person. The guy probably doesn’t even know what a proper meme is._ Now that he thought about it, he was surprised that Minhyuk was hooking up with someone that wasn’t Hyungwon. Those two had looked like they were getting pretty serious for a while. Changkyun frowned. Against all odds, he had actually liked that lanky cornstalk of a man.

Turning on the shower, he let it heat up as he undressed and tossed his clothes into the bathroom corner. He looked at himself in the mirror, rotating his head left and right as he admired the various marks littering his neck. Sighing, he ran his fingers softly over a particularly dark hickey between his collarbone and neck. God, he really was a mess.

 

* * *

 

Dragging a hoodie over his head, Changkyun cautiously exited his room. He peeked around the corner of the wall, wary eyes scanning the environment. No sign of Minhyuk or the Mysterious Stranger. He breathed a sigh of relief and pushed the wet hair out of his eyes, maneuvering so he could plop down on that ugly vintage couch, courtesy of his grandma. As he sank into the cushion, he inhaled the beautiful smell of stale mothballs and sighed loudly. He turned his head towards the window, listening to the honks and tires screeching on the cluttered streets. His fingers drummed on his phone, quietly musing over the next move. Assuming the number Kihyun had given him was actually his number, Changkyun knew he should eventually text him. Hopefully, he could think of something casual, cool and effortless. He unlocked his phone and typed out a message:

 

**To “Kihyun”:**

hey, great sex last night!

 

Changkyun grimaced and erased it. Yeah, definitely not that. He tried again:

 

**To “Kihyun”:**

hey, its Changkyun! cnt stop thinking about ur dick in my mouth haha

 

Yep, that’s a solid no. He quickly deleted the text. Fuck, why couldn’t he be normal for once?

 

**To “Kihyun”:**

hey, its Changkyun! finally made it home ;)

 

Changkyun pursed his lips as he contemplated the message. He supposed that would work for now. It was cute, simple, and mildly flirty, the perfect casual post-hook-up text. Pressing send, he flung his phone onto the seat cushion beside and let his eyes slip closed. Changkyun thought of Kihyun's eyes and how they turned into two crescents when the man smiled, the soft lines of his face stretching in earnest. He thought of the other's spine and the way it felt under his calloused fingertips, each ridge and bump rolling smoothly under him.

Right as he was about to comfortably drift off to sleep on the shitty antique sofa, he heard the sound of Minhyuk’s door click open. Cracking one eye open, he observed the scene in front of him. Both Minhyuk and the Mysterious Guy, thankfully fully clothed, stood in the hallway. Mysterious Guy had a sheepish smile on his face when he looked at Changkyun, rubbing his hands together as he made his way into the living room. Minhyuk refused to look Changkyun in the eyes, instead choosing to poke his head back into the room for a couple seconds. When he turned around and stepped forward, Changkyun nearly choked. _Holy fucking shit._

Right behind Minhyuk stood Hyungwon in all his tall, beanpole glory. Eyes darting frantically between Minhyuk, Hyungwon, and Mysterious Stranger, Changkyun felt his eyebrows creeping farther and farther up his forehead. His head hurting as he put two and two together, he felt like the living embodiment of that fucking Zach Galifianakis math gif.  _If Minhyuk had been naked with Mysterious Stranger… and Hyungwon had been in Minhyuk’s room this whole time… then that meant… all three of them… had been naked… together._ As the pieces fell together, a sharp gasp left Changkyun’s mouth. He slapped his hand over his lips, eyes growing wider.

“Oh my fucking God.” His words were muffled by his hand, but they were loud enough that he knew the three other men heard him.

Minhyuk blushed furiously, reaching up to rub his hands over his face frantically. “Before you ask, yes we all… uh… fucked.”

Changkyun groaned, throwing his head back in exasperation, “How do you _always_ manage to out-do me, you big _bitch_!” He glared at Minhyuk, letting his gaze sweep between the other men, “Here I am, proud that I finally managed to get laid for the first time in 200 years and you just…. Do _that_. Wow.”

Gasping, Minhyuk rushed over to Changkyun’s side, quickly wrapping his arms around the other in a tight hug, “Wait, are you serious? Oh my _God! My baby!_ ” he squealed, “I had no idea! I’m so proud of you! Tell me everything! What’s his name? Do you have a picture? How old is he? How big is his dick?” his voice rambled on, with Changkyun now wedged solidly between the others arms and chest, mouth full of Minhyuk’s sweatshirt.

Wriggling backward, he managed to escape from the other’s clutches, gasping dramatically before holding Minhyuk at an arms-length. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mysterious Stranger staring incredulously at them. The muscular man turned to Hyungwon, who looked equally as uncomfortable but certainly not as surprised. Rolling his eyes, Changkyun pushed Minhyuk backward and motioned to the other two standing in the room.

“I’ll tell you the details as soon as you explain what the,“ He gestured wildly in their general direction, “fuck is actually going on here.”

Shrugging, Minhyuk blushed and leaned back before nodded at Mysterious Stranger, “That’s Hoseok. He’s a trainer at me and Wonwon’s gym,” Hyungwon visibly grimaced at the other’s nickname, “Yadda, yadda, we agreed to try it out blah, blah, blah and now here we are!”

Mysterious Stranger, or Hoseok now, blushed furiously at the explanation before clearing his throat and looking at Changkyun, “To be clear, I, uh, don’t do this often… like… threesomes… that is.”

Minhyuk huffed and rolled his eyes, “Sorry, I forgot to mention that we all have, like, feelings for each other.”

Nodding along, Changkyun pursed his lips and looked at Hyungwon, “And you’re cool with all this, too?”

The tall man shrugged, leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room, “Duh, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it, Kyun.” He walked over and slung a lanky arm around Hoseok, “Besides, he’s hot, no?”

“Definitely,” Changkyun confirmed, giving the man a blatant look-over while the other covered his face in embarrassment. Hyungwon winked and squeezed Hoseok’s bicep, eliciting a muffled sound of shame from him.

Giggling, Minhyuk slapped Changkyun’s thigh and moved to once again drape his arms over Changkyun’s shoulders, “Careful there, Kyunnie, otherwise, we might think you’re interested in joining.”

A thoughtful look on his face, Changkyun slowly rubbed his chin with a hand, “I’ll have to sleep on it, honestly,” And well, since he had this wild newfound confidence courtesy of last night, he might as well fucking roll with it, “Or, should I say…“ He winked at Hoseok, “sleep _with_ it.”

Hyungwon let out a howl of laughter, slapping Hoseok on the shoulder as the owner of said shoulder turned a brilliantly satisfying red. On his right, Minhyuk screeched, pulling the younger man in and kissing his cheek with overenthusiastic vigor. Unable to help himself, Changkyun grinned widely and decided to temporarily let the other man squeeze him half to death. Wiping a tear from his eye, Minhyuk pulled back and smirked, patting Changkyun on the cheek.

“Calm down, sweetie. One step at a time,” He snatched the remote from the coffee table, turning the tv on before he turned back to him, “Jesus, something incredible must have happened to you last night for you to be this cheeky. And here I was, thinking you hated me!”

“Oh don’t worry, I still hate you, Minnie, nothing’s changed there.” Changkyun stretched, bringing his feet up to rest on the table, “I mean, last night was… just…” Kihyun’s smile flashed in his mind, the way the other man’s hands gripped his thighs, the soft sound of his laughter in a sun-streaked room. He shook his head, “Good. It was good.”

Peering at him closely, Minhyuk shifted closer, “Just good?” He scoffed, “It turned you into a completely different man! _Just good_ , my ass!” He pointed the remote accusatorily at Changkyun, “Spill it, or I’ll make you spill it.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Changkyun noticed Hoseok and Hyungwon lean closer with obvious interest. _Fuckin’ nosey bitches._ He shrugged, suddenly nervous as his bravado trickled away with each ticking second. He really didn’t feel like admitting to Minhyuk, of all people, that he had fallen idiotically in love with a one night stand.

“Fine, ok, I met a guy yesterday, thanks to you kicking me out of the apartment. We got dinner, and we went back to his place. I may or may not have had some of the best sex of my life. Whatever. It happens.”

A shadow fell over his face. He looked up to see Hyungwon’s round face peering down at him, gesturing for him to make room on the couch. Shifting over, he watched both Hyungwon and Hoseok squeeze into the space to his left, leaving him sandwiched between a streetlamp and a scrawny menace. _Fantastic,_ he thought bitterly.

Hyungwon smirked, reaching to pat Changkyun’s knee, “You caught feelings, didn’t ya?”

“No, I did not. I’m a grown adult capable of having sex without getting attached.”

Minhyuk and Hyungwon shared a pointed look, while Hoseok coughed awkwardly at his end of the couch.

“So you’re telling me, you don’t want to see this guy again?” Minhyuk asked as he slowly flicked through the TV channels.

“No!” Changkyun quickly protested. _Too quickly_ , he realized in shame, “Or, uh, I mean, I’m… open to seeing him again. Maybe.”

“Oh, my poor baby. You fell in love, didn’t you?”

Groaning, Changkyun chose to ignore the question, instead opting to watch Guy Fieri devour a deep-fried pork sandwich on the TV. If only he could be as lucky as Guy, a man paid to travel around the country to eat good food and meet nice people. _If only._

He jolted from his pleasant dissociation when his phone was thrust into his line of vision by Minhyuk. As the text on the screen gradually came into focus, he noticed there were two unread messages from Kihyun lingering on the screen. Swallowing a yelp, he tried to snatch the phone from the other man, only to have Minhyuk pull it out of reach with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“I fucking _knew_ it. You’re smitten, Kyunnie!” Minhyuk cackled, still dangling the phone at an arms-length.

Changkyun whined, clamoring over the other man in a vain attempt to reach the device, “Minnie, please, _please_ , give it back!”

Minhyuk ignored him, making cooing noises while he pinched the younger boy’s cheek with his free hand. To Changkyun’s left, Hyungwon laughed obnoxiously, reaching behind Changyun to give Minhyuk a high-five. Thoroughly done with the entire situation, Changkyun swung his arm, hitting Hyungwon solidly in the stomach. A satisfying “oomf” resonated from the tall male, who doubled over in pain. Hoseok snickered and flashed Changkyun a thumbs up.

Twisting around, Changkyun finally succeeded in snatching his phone out of Minhyuk’s grasp. Releasing a sigh of relief, he sprung off the couch and gave Minhyuk a solid kick to the shin before sitting in the armchair across the room, the older man’s responding screech sounding like sweet music to his ears.

“Ya’ll are all fucking _demons_ , I swear to God,” He hissed, unlocking his phone as he sank into the chair’s cushions, “Except you, Hoseok. You’re innocent and I think I like you.”

Across from him, Hoseok beamed, “Thank you, I guess?”

“Don’t know how you’re dating those two demons, but, to each their own.”

Hoseok sighed, “Not quite sure myself, really-” He was cut off by an affronted screech from Minhyuk, who promptly launched himself across Hyungwon at the other man. In the blink of an eye, the three of them toppled over on the couch, Hyungwon’s sharp protest quickly muffled as his face disappeared into Hoseok’s armpit. Rolling his eyes for the umpteenth time that morning, Changkyun promptly tuned out the squabble in front of him and turned his attention to the most important matter at hand: Kihyun.

 

**From “Kihyun”:**

Glad you made it home, esp with that limp

AH FUCK I just cringED pls ignore that omg

 

Changkyun giggled when he read the message, squeezing his phone in his palm as a wave of affection flooded through him. _Good lord, he is so fuckin’ adorable._

 

**To “Kihyun”:**

Lmao omg

8/10 for effort

12/10 for cringe 

**From “Kihyun”:**

LMFAO fuc I deserve that

Glad u made it home tho for real

Hows that guy Minhyoon or something

The one u said was the bane of ur existence

**To “Kihyun”:**

His names Minhyuk

and hes still the bane of my existence

I came home to see him naked in my living room post-threesome

**From “Kihyun”:**

OMFGJHDK WHAT

Wait really? Oh my GOD

**To “Kihyun”:**

yeet hes literally insane

But I like his boyfriend(s)?

Well

I like Hoseok he’s a gym trainer

i also saw him naked 

but his other bf Hyungwon can choke tbh

**From “Kihyun”:**

Wait.

WAIT

Shin Hoseok? From World Pro Fitness?????? Huge and ripped but with a sweet face???

**To “Kihyun”:**

uh yeah

**From “Kihyun”:**

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**To “Kihyun”:**

Uhh do u…. know him?

**From “Kihyun”:**

LMAO yah me n him used to date back in the day

Hes one of my best friends

who DIDN’T tell me he was dating not one

but TWO guys!!

 

Changkyun felt a thrum of unease run down his spine. Kihyun and Hoseok… used to date? Holy shit, he looked like a crusty eggplant in comparison to the other man, what the actual fuck. Also, how in the world were all these people connected? Last time he checked, New York City was a big ass city with a big ass population. It looked like God really did have it out for him.

**To “Kihyun”:**

Oh uh

That’s interesting lol

U and hoseok, huh

Small world!

**From “Kihyun”:**

Oh

Was that weird for me to mention

Idk I told u im friends with all my ex’s last night

Is that a problem?

 

Changkyun internally smacked himself. What the hell was wrong with him? He had known this guy for less than a day and he was already wildin’ the fuck out about Kihyun’s past sex life. _Ok, snap out of it, keep your dumb ass in check, Changkyun._

**To “Kihyun”:**

NO!!!!

Sorry im really weird uh I think

everythings just catching me off guard

like after having the rly good sex w u last night

i come home to my roomie butt ass naked

and then he tells me he’s dating two guys

one of which happens to b ur ex

**From “Kihyun”:**

Well

Im glad u liked the sex

I liked it too ;)

**To “Kihyun”:**

WELL

if u were goin to take anything from that paragraph

Im glad its that

I liked the sex a lot

**From “Kihyun”:**

ok hold up let’s stop calling it “the sex”

**To “Kihyun”:**

why? Were u not joyous from our experience during the sex?

The sex between our two prone, naked bodies?

**From “Kihyun”:**

GOD STOP OR I SWEAR

Ill stop texting u

**To “Kihyun”:**

NO!

But the sex :’(

**From “Kihyun”:**

BLOCKED N REPORTED

 

A loud cough made him look up from his phone. Across the room, the three other men were looking at him with amused expressions. From his perch lounging across the other two, Minhyuk raised his eyebrows.

“Texting lover boy? Actually, don’t even need you to answer that, I know you are because you keep giggling and blushing like a preteen.” Minhyuk said, playing with the strings on Hoseok’s hoodie.

In that moment, Changkyun truly wished he could reach across and throttle the life out of the black-haired male, but he simply couldn't just because the other looked so damn cute sprawled there. Damn, he really was going soft. Instead of violence, he chose to flip the other off and look back at his phone. To his surprise, Kihyun had sent him three more messages.

 

**From “Kihyun”:**

ok BUT on a srs note…

I do want to see u again

If u want to.

 

Stifling a squeal, Changkyun sent a silent thank you to whoever was looking out for his sad ass.

 

**To “Kihyun”:**

id like that a lot ur the most beautiful person ive ever met and u smell so goodgodYES

 

 _Yeah, ok, that’s a mess._ He erased it _. Phew, ok calm down, buddy, reel it in._ He took a deep breath and retyped the message:

**To “Kihyun”:**

id like that a lot Kihyun :)

 

He pressed send and smiled. When he looked up, he noticed that Hyungwon, Hoseok, and Minhyuk had vacated the area and had moved into the kitchen. He sat up and walked over towards them, leaning against the counter and resting his head in his hand.

“So, he wants to see me again.” He started, a soft smile on his face as he watched Hyungwon struggle to crack an egg into a pan. The eggshell crumbled into the man along with the egg, much to the tall man’s dismay.

Minhyuk grinned as he looped his arms around Hoseok’s waist, “Oh, you’re such a goner. What’s his name?”

“Yoo Kihyun,” Changkyun noticed Hoseok look up quickly and he laughed, “Before you ask, Hoseok, yes, _that_ Kihyun.”

Hoseok stuttered and opened his mouth, only to be silenced with Minhyuk’s hand.

“Wait, what’s this?” Minhyuk’s eyebrows shot up his forehead, “You know this guy, baby?”

Scratching his elbow, Hoseok looked sheepish before smiling, “Uh yeah, he’s… kind of my ex,” When he noted the expression on both Minhyuk and Hyungwon’s face, he quickly continued, “It’s fine! We’re friends. Good friends, actually.” He looked sharply at Changkyun, “Uh, by chance, does he know about… this?”

“Chyeah dude, I already told him about seeing you naked and everything.” Changkyun drawled, peering into the man’s wide eyes.

“Ohhhh man,” Hoseok rubbed his face, “He’s gonna fuckin’ kill me for not telling him.”

“Why didn’t you?” Changkyun inquired, noting Minhyuk and Hyungwon’s blank faces.

“I mean, I didn’t really tell anyone. He knew I was seeing someone… I just didn’t tell him it happened to be… _two_ someones.” He looked guilty as he picked at a nail, “I was worried about how he’d react.”

Changkyun grinned, “He didn’t seem to care, more annoyed you didn’t tell him since he said you were best friends and all.”

Groaning, Hoseok ducked his head in shame before looking at his two supposed boyfriends. Minhyuk swatted Hoseok on the stomach and turned him around, fixing him with a stern stare, “Shin Hoseok, listen here you dumb beefcake. You best better inform your best friends about,” he waved wildly around the kitchen, “ _this_ , or god help me I will wring your ass out to dry.”

Nodding as he stirred the eggs in the pan, Hyungwon chimed in, “Yeah, this ain’t no fling, boy. If you aren’t comfortable with this, get out now.”

Rolling his eyes, Hoseok moved so his arms were around both men, nuzzling his chin into Hyungwon’s neck while he rubbed Minhyuk's arm, “Trust me, I’m _very_ comfortable.”

Hyungwon tried to look stern, but the corner of his mouth turned up ever so slightly, giving him away. The three of them dissolved into giggles and soft kisses while Changkyun looked on in the background. He couldn’t stop the grimace that touched his face at the affectionate display and loudly cleared his throat. The other men stopped and turned to him, looking at him expectantly.

 _Back to the main point._ Changkyun pointed at Minhyuk, “You’re throwing a party this Friday, right?”

“Uh, duh, I always throw parties on Friday. The modeling agency pretty much expects me to.” Minhyuk confirmed, “Publicity and all that.”

Snapping his fingers, Changkyun pointed at Hoseok next, “And you’re gonna be there, I assume?”

Hoseok blinked slowly, “Yeah, ‘course.”

“Ok cool, imma invite Kihyun,” Changkyun said, “And he’ll know someone besides me.”

Clapping his hands together, Minhyuk shrieked, looking positively thrilled at the notion of making another friend. Hyungwon smirked and reached over the counter to ruffle Changkyun’s hair, “Look at you, _maestro_. Making solid moves in the love department.”

Sticking his tongue out at the taller man, Changkyun looked back at his phone.

 

**From “Kihyun”:**

Oh wow ok

I dunno what to do from here

I was half expecting you to say “no thanks” so uh

Yay ok

**To “Kihyun”:**

In what world could I ever say no to u

i literally did everything you wanted at that restaurant

**From “Kihyun”:**

Oh darling, don’t give me that power

ill abuse it

To “Kihyun”:

Oh but baby

 that’s exactly what I want ;)

**From “Kihyun”:**

Sfjhsafkjah ENOUGH

Im trying to do IMPORTANT work and u do this

**To “Kihyun”:**

:)

real talk

how do u feel abt coming to party this Friday?

Minhyuk’s hosting one and Hoseok will b there

**From “Kihyun”:**

hmmmmmm

ill have to check my SUPER busy schedule tbh

**To “Kihyun”:**

oh forgive me

ill wait patiently, sir

**From “Kihyun”:**

oh my god stop

yes im free and I would love to come

Let’s grab coffee before then

maybe on Wednesday?

**To “Kihyun”:**

ur wish is my command, beautiful

ill clear my calendar for u, Mr. CEO ;)

**From “Kihyun”:**

OH MY FUCKING GOD

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sry for any grammar mistakes rip  
> if ur still reading this mess god bless u n ily


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vorrei un caffè e una chiave per il tuo cuore.
> 
> Changkyun and Kihyun get coffee...  
> ft. way too much worldbuilding for this AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this story is helping me cope with everything right now  
> Really, thank you to everyone who reads this  
> Stay strong

Changkyun didn’t really know what he was doing, hands shoved in his jacket as he leaned against the window of The New Brew. Well, he knew why he was there: a date with a cute boy and good fucking coffee. He just didn’t know how to function, to put it simply. It was easy for him to confidently flirt and flex his assets over text, but that shit didn’t translate to in-person. The proof is in the pudding. That entire “date” he had with Kihyun two days ago had been an embarrassing sinkhole until the wine was introduced. Drunk Changkyun was cool. Post-sex Changkyun was cool. Sober Changkyun? Not so much.

After pinching his nose to warm it up, Changkyun huffed into his hands and rubbed them together, trying his best to ignore the cold nipping at his exposed skin. Despite Minhyuk’s warning to not show up to early, Changkyun had insisted on leaving 20 minutes early to combat traffic. It was only after he was half-way to the coffee shop, shivering violently between gusts of wind, that he realized traffic didn’t apply to a person walking on foot.

He checked his watch, shifting from foot to foot, and pushed his circular glasses up his nose. Since he was early, there was no harm in waiting inside, he supposed. He turned to yank the door to the shop open, letting out an embarrassing groan of relief when the hot air hit his face. Surveying the inside, Changkyun smiled when he noticed Jungkook behind the counter. The brunette boy had always been his favorite barista to deal with, which said a lot since Changkyun just really hated dealing with people in general. Little mistletoes and bells adorned the wood tables in the cafe, which, admittedly, were pretty damn cute. If he had to guess, it was probably Jimin’s influence, since Jungkook was far too much of an emo fuck to ever come up with something so endearing.

Giving Jungkook a quick wave, he settled for a booth nestled in the corner. Figuring he should wait to order until Kihyun showed up, Changkyun pulled out his laptop from his bag and opened his work email. He sighed upon noticing three new emails from his boss, all of which were about his upcoming deadline the following Friday. His boss was a good man, really, from the bottom of his heart, he meant that. He was a fantastic journalist who earned his reputation fair and square, but boy was he a pain to deal with on a tight timeline. All three emails asked him to reach out to a new investigative journalist, someone by the name of “Shownu,” to work on a joint assignment. Something about tracking the growth of sex doll networks in the hidden conservative hubs of New York. He had to admit, it sounded rather interesting.

He sent a short and pleasant introductory email to “Shownu,” fired off a couple check-ins with his department and turned his attention to the actual topic of his research, becoming completely engrossed in his laptop screen. Just as he started reading about the details of sex doll production in rather excruciating detail, he felt a hand tap him on his shoulder. Changkyun yelped and slammed his laptop shut, safely removing the tabs and tabs of sex doll research from view. That was a close save. Looking up at the owner of the hand, he felt his throat close up and constrict itself.

In front of him, Kihyun smiled radiantly, his eyes turning into small, beautiful crescents on his warm skin. The first thing Changkyun noticed was his hair; no longer a rich brown, Kihyun now sported ashy gray locks that he had parted in the middle. Good grief, he looked absolutely stunning, the soft hair glowing under the warm café lights.

“Your hair.” Changkyun blurted out, eyes wide as he stared at the other male.

Following his statement, Kihyun blanched and whipped a hand up to run it through his strands, “W-what? Oh, you don’t like it?”

 _What? How could he think… oh._ Changkyun internally drop-kicked his own ass.

“Oh wow, uh, that’s not what I meant,” He winced at his words, “I meant it like, oh! Your hair! Looks really good!”

Brightening considerably, Kihyun laughed, “I guess that’s good? I got bored of the old cut, you know, so I went and got it done yesterday. Guess I just like to try new things.”

Changkyun smiled, his body slowly but surely relaxing as Kihyun sat down across from him, “Really? So you’ve died it other colors, then?”

“Let’s just say…” Kihyun leaned in conspiratorially, looking left and right before he spoke in a hushed tone, “I had bubblegum pink hair for almost _three_ months.”

“Three months?” Changkyun squeaked incredulously, trying to picture what that would look like in his head.

Nodding gravely, Kihyun leaned back into the booth, “Three months. And I’ll have you know, I looked real fuckin’ good.”

“I bet you did.” Changkyun agreed eagerly before registering his own words. His mouth betraying him yet again, his face rapidly heated up, and he averted his gaze.

Smirking at Changkyun’s reaction, Kihyun let out a thoughtful hum, letting his eyes trail slowly over the other’s face and neck. He lingered on the marks scattered across Changyun’s throat before his eyes shot back up to Changkyun’s own. _Fuck_. Changkyun cleared his throat as his skin prickled with something a bit too heated for a simple coffee shop.

“So, uh, how about that…coffee?”

Blinking twice, Kihyun laughed sweetly before standing up, “Yeah, of course.”

Practically vibrating with energy, Changkyu sprang up and speed-walked towards the register, ignoring the amused snort that Kihyun emitted. Jungkook looked up from where he was mindlessly wiping the counter and nodded in acknowledgment.

“Yo man, what’s good?” He asked before going back to rubbing tedious circles on the already-clean surface.

Changkyun drummed his fingers on the wood as he leaned forward, his face warming as Kihyun brushed up next to him, the fabric of the other man’s jacket snagging on his sweater.

“Uh, you know, just ordering some coffee.” Changkyun coughed nervously at Jungkook’s blank expression, “I’ll take the usual. And he’ll take…” He paused and looked over at Kihyun, gesturing for the other to order.

Jungkook’s eyebrows shot up his forehead as his eyes darted between the two men in front of him. Slowly, the corner of his mouth quirked upwards, much to Changkyun’s utmost dismay. Before Kihyun could open his mouth, Jungkook shook his head at him and turned his attention to Changkyun. _Oh good fucking Lord,_ Changkyun thought miserably.

“So,” Jungkook began, a small smile creeping on his face, “Care to introduce me to your companion, Changkyun?”

Releasing a strangled noise, Changkyun grit out, “No, not really, I’d actually really like to-”

“I’m Kihyun,” Kihyun cut him off, looking positively angelic, “Nice to meet you…” He trailed off as he squinted at the other’s nametag, “…Jungkook!”

Jungkook nodded appreciatively and grinned even wider, if that was possible, “Damn, Changkyun, I didn’t know you could still reel em’ in. I’m impressed!”

He threw the towel into the sink behind him, “Really, you should’ve told me you were dating someone. Well, at least, you should’ve told Jimin, you _know_ how excited he gets with couples and _love_ and all that.” Changkyun opened his mouth to correct him but the other man rambled on, “It was his idea to do that cutesy mistletoe discount, you know. _Take a picture with your s/o and the mistletoe on your table for 25% off any latte of your choice!_ Like, come on, really? He’s too much sometimes, even for me!”

Changkyun cleared his throat, “Uhm actually, we aren’t d-”

“We aren’t _done_ hearing about this cute discount!” Kihyun loudly cut in, smiling while his hand tightened considerably on Changkyun’s arm, “What exactly do we need to do?”

Sensing the sudden tension, Jungkook looked curiously between the two of them before shrugging, “Just take a pic of the two of you kissing under one of the mistletoe on the table and post it on Instagram. Just be sure to put @thenewbrewNY somewhere in there, and you’re good to go.”

“Ok, great! We’ll do that reaaaal quick!” Kihyun smiled one more time before turning around, dragging Changkyun with him.

Returning to their table, Kihyun pushed Changkyun into the booth before clambering none too gracefully in after him. Changkyun snorted and reached up to adjust his glasses.

“Old habits die hard, huh?” He inquired, shaking his head and running a hand through his bangs.

Kihyun punched him gently in the arm, “I can’t believe you almost blew that for us! 25% off, Changkyun! We live in fuckin’ Soho for crying out loud, we can’t _afford_ to miss shit like this.”

Changkyun scoffed teasingly, reaching over to adjust the collar of Kihyun’s button-up, “Yeah, well, _news-flash_ asshole, I don’t normally scam my own friends to save money.”

He fiddled with the crease on the other’s collar, smoothing it down fondly before he noticed how still Kihyun had become. Snatching his hand back, he watched Kihyun tracked his movements with wide eyes. Fuck, there he goes again, getting all tender and mushy around this man that he barely knew. Who he had casual sex with. One time. He really wished he had some a larger amount of self-control.

Changkyun sucked in a breath as he registered a sudden shift in mood. The warm, dim lighting of the café reflected off Kihyun’s dark eyes, creating a syrup-like void that sucked him in. _Goddamn_ , he really was beautiful, with his wind-roughed lips and clean, sharp jaw. Kihyun’s gray hair contrasted brilliantly with his skin, bringing out his rich golden complexion, and Changkyun was so utterly lost, lost in the absolute embodiment of warmth that Kihyun represented. The other’s lashes fluttered gently as he looked away from Changkyun’s intense stare, a beautiful pink creeping up to adorn his cheeks. It hit Changkyun square in the chest, the simple and sheer intensity of wanting to kiss the other man, regardless of any discount. He shook his head, dispelling the emotion resting heavily in his mind. _Not now, you hopelessly romantic fuck._

“U-uhm, ok, uh, we can take my picture first.” Kihyun stuttered, pulling out his phone and grabbing the mistletoe with the other hand.

He held the mistletoe slightly behind and above their heads and leaned in quickly. Caught off guard, Changkyun barely registered the feeling of smooth lips pressed against his cheek before the other was pulling back. He looked over, and Kihyun was already typing away on his phone, dragging text across the picture on his screen. Peering over the man’s shoulder, Changkyun couldn’t stop his heart from twisting at the image. It was just so fucking _cute,_ with Kihyun’s gently scrunched nose and Changkyun’s stupidly wide eyes.

“There!” Kihyun exclaimed, posting the image on his Instagram story, “My discount, done! Now, time for yours.”

Holding his own phone out, Changkyun quietly murmured for Kihyun to hold the mistletoe up. He leaned in, fully intending on giving the other a fat smooch on the cheek. As he got closer, his eyes flickered down to Kihyun’s lips out of their own accord. His companion’s tongue darted out to wet the bottom lip, and Changkyun felt the tiny amount of self-control he possessed fly out the window. Well, _fuck it_ , they were supposed to be dating, weren’t they?

He used his free hand to gently grip Kihyun’s chin and steer him so they were face to face. When he noticed Kihyun’s bewildered expression, he gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile before closing the gap, softly pressing his lips to Kihyun’s. With his hand holding his phone, he quickly snapped the picture, heart hammering in his throat. Changkyun moved to pull back but stopped when Kihyun placed a hand on the back of his neck, keeping him firmly in place. Kihyun melted into the kiss, releasing a soft sigh before pushing closer, the heat from his mouth washing over Changkyun’s lips. Reveling in the tingle that slide down his spine, Changkyun guided his hand from Kihyun’s chin to cup the side of his jaw, using his thumb to brush the corner of the other’s mouth. The fingers on his neck pressed harder, slightly trembling, before releasing him altogether, soft lips leaving behind a ghost-like warmth on his own. Changkyun opened his eyes and swiftly focused his attention on putting the picture on his story. He wanted to upload it as quickly as possible, not allowing himself to think about the number of nosey messages he would soon get from his friends and second guess himself. Once he posted it, he turned back to Kihyun, who looked deeply absorbed as he picked at the grain swirls on their table.

“Alright, it’s up there.” He said as he watched Kihyun’s fingers trail over the wood, “Let’s go get those drinks.”

Kihyun eyed him curiously, worrying his lip between his teeth, “I thought you didn’t want to lie to your friends?” He smirked, “That pic seems kinda… domestically suggestive.”

“Kihyun,” Changkyun enjoyed the way Kihyun’s ears dusted pink as he lowered the tone of his voice, “If we have a ruse, I might as well solidly commit to it.” He nudged the man out of their booth gently, “No point in half-assing a scam.”

Kihyun helped Changkyun stand up, keeping his hand on the other’s forearm, “So, what? Is this our thing now?” He motioned between the two of them.

Changkyun pulled the other along, leaning back to talk lowly into the other man’s ear, “Fake long-term dating to reap the ridiculous benefits of brain-washed capitalism? Why yes, I think it is.”

When they reached the counter, Jungkook gave them a thumbs up, “All good?”

“Oh, all good, _indeed_ ,” Kihyun practically purred, much to Changkyun’s embarrassment. He flashed Jungkook an imploring smile.

Jungkook laughed, “Great, I’ll whip up a regular latte for Changkyun and for you…?” He looked at Kihyun, who pursed his lips in concentration as he scanned the menu.

“I’ll take a medium pumpkin spice latte,” He concluded. When he noticed the incredulous looks from both Jungkook and Changkyun, he rolled his eyes, “What? I like em’ sweet.” He winked at Changkyun.

Biting back a sigh at the other’s terrible flirting, Changkyun pulled out his credit card and handed it to the barista, swatting away Kihyun’s card before the other could even attempt to pay for his latte. This was an actual date, after all. Kihyun glared at him before slowly putting his card away. Noticing the exchange, Jungkook smirked as he rang them up.

“Still battling over who pays, huh?” He tore off the receipt, a satisfying rip echoing around them, “I wish Jimin still offered, honestly.” Turning around, he scooped some fresh coffee grinds into the machine, “He just expects me to pay for everything! I mean, sure, we’ve been dating for two years now, but _come on_! I just think…”

Changkyun tuned Jungkook’s rambling out, rotating so that he was leaning against the counter and facing Kihyun. He jerked his head at Jungkook, who was still talking while moving around the coffee station.

“I’ve known him for a couple years. He’s dating the owner of this place. I thought he was a quiet dude when I first met him. Turns out, when you befriend him, he turns into _this_.” He pointed at Jungkook’s flailing, exasperated arms.

Kihyun nodded, engrossed in watching the barista fiddle with the latte machine, “Not surprised, honestly… He looks so familiar…” He murmured, eyes squinting in concentration, “I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere.”

“Maybe you’ve come to The New Brew before?”

“Nope, I don’t have _that_ bad of a memory.”

Changkyun nudged Kihyun’s shoulder with his own, “Maybe you dated him? Since our lives seem to be wildly intertwined, doesn’t seem too far-fetched,” He joked.

Not hearing the teasing lilt to Changkyun’s voice, Kihyun shook his head thoughtfully, “No, not possible, I’d have remembered him…”

He trailed off, with Changkyun carefully watching the way Kihyun’s nose scrunched up when he concentrated. _Cute_.

Suddenly, Kihyun’s head jerked up and he gasped, “Holy _shit_ , that’s it! My ex!”

“Uhm,” Changkyun said nervously, “So, you… did… date him?”

Kihyun snickered, pinching the inside of Changkyun’s arm, “No, shut up! I’m pretty sure he hangs around with one of my previous boyfriends.”

“Oh, what was the guy’s name?”

A far-off look entered Kihyun’s eyes, and Changkyun wasn’t quite sure if it made him jealous or not. “Min Yoongi. He’s a music producer and part-time rapper, lives over in Queens.”

At the sound of that man’s name, Jungkook abruptly turned around, a surprised look on his face, “Did I hear ‘Min Yoongi?’” He walked over with two steaming lattes, “Wait... you said you dated him? Oh my God.” Jungkook blanched.

“You’re _that_ Kihyun!” He exclaimed, pushing the drinks over to them, his round eyes impossibly wide.

Changkyun glanced between the two, eyebrows creeping up his forehead. _Uh, ok, what the fuck?_

Blushing, Kihyun picked up his cup, blowing softly on it before taking a sip, “Well, I mean, yes, I’m that Kihyun.”

“You sang on some of his tracks!” Jungkook gasped, leaning across the counter, “You… your voice is incredible! I was wondering why you never appeared on any of his later tracks, but now I know. Makes sense, since you stopped dating…”

Kihyun cleared his throat, “Well, no, not really. He asked me to feature on some of his recent things. We’re still on good terms,” He huffed in exasperation, “I don’t get what it is with people not understanding that it’s possible to be friends with your ex’s.”

“Well, let’s just say it’s not _really_ that common,” Changkyun interjected, a grimace on his face as he briefly thought about some of the people he had dated in the past. _Yikes._

Jungook nodded in solemn affirmation.

“Well, anyways, I turned him down.” Kihyun said, taking another sip of his latte, “I don’t sing anymore.”

“What!” Jungkook exclaimed, leaning even closer over the counter. In Changkyun’s opinion, he would be draped across the whole thing pretty soon, “But y-your voice is incredible! Better than mine!” Jungkook looked devastated, “Why would you just _stop_ singing?”

Completely caught off guard by the turn the conversation had taken, Changkyun analyzed the situation silently. Apparently, Kihyun could sing but didn’t anymore, and Jungkook, who also sang, had heard Kihyun’s voice on several of Yoongi’s tracks. Yoongi, who was another of Kihyun’s exes. God, his head hurt. Thankfully, Jungkook was too focused on Kihyun to notice the confused expression on Changkyun’s face.

Looking uncomfortable, Kihyun shrugged, “I just don’t feel it anymore, you know?” He looked down, a strange expression ghosting over his face, “I lost inspiration for it.” The look vanished as quickly as it appeared, “Anyways, I’m happy as an interior designer… It’s the right path for me.”

Jungkook looked like he was about to say more, so Changkyun decided to quickly cut him off, “Yeah, you’re amazing at your job, _babe_.”

He wrapped his arm around Kihyun’s shoulder, giving Jungkook a pointed look. The other man looked frustrated but backed off.

“Ok, I get it.” Jungkook said, “Just, keep it in mind? I’m not kidding, your voice is fantastic.” He nodded at Changkyun, “I’m sure your boyfriend knows that.”

Laughing nervously, Changkyun squeezed Kihyun’s shoulder and picked up his own cup, “Uh, y-yeah, of course I do.” He turned around at the sound of the front door opening and noticed a group of people enter the café, “Well, looks like you’re about to have more customers, we’ll go sit down. Can’t distract the busy barista!”

He hauled Kihyun back to their booth and released a long sigh once he sat down, relieved to have escaped the tense situation. Looking up, he realized the gray-haired man was staring down at his own latte, eyes zoned out on the foam rimming the cup. He opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated, not quite knowing if it was his place to say anything at all. Changkyun settled for placing his hand on top of Kihyun’s, running his thumb over the other man’s palm.

“Hey, we don’t have to talk about it, ok?” He reassured, tracing the faint lines etched into Kihyun’s skin, “Whatever it is, it’s in the past, yeah?”

Kihyun refused to look at him, using his index finger to stir the foam on top of his drink. Changkyun waited, content with the warmth radiating from Kihyun’s hand within his own. At last, the corner of Kihyun’s mouth quirked upwards.

“Yeah, you’re right, sorry.” Kihyun sighed, “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

“I mean, that’s why we’re on this date, right? To get to know each other?” Changkyun asked, tapping Kihyun’s knuckles as he spoke.

“Yeah, but not… that. Not yet.” Kihyun murmured, removing his hand from Changkyun’s grasp. Changkyun frowned, the lack of the other’s warmth too jarring for his liking.

“And that’s fine.” He smiled soothingly, “Let’s talk about whatever you want to.”

Kihyun returned to silence, looking at Changkyun, no, _staring_ at him, with such an intensity that he felt apprehensive. Changkyun blinked, but he didn’t look away. The other man’s eyes looked wet, his lashes starting to clump together, and Changkyun’s heart clenched. He cursed himself for letting Jungkook run his big mouth for that long, but he couldn’t really blame the other guy. Hell, he himself didn’t know talking about singing would result in this. He waited for Kihyun to make the next move, to say anything to break the tension that hung in the air like cloying moss. At last, Kihyun averted his gaze and stood up.

“I’m, uh, sorry,” He whispered, smoothing his hands down the front of his shirt and reaching to zip his jacket with quivering fingers, “I need to go. I’m sorry, really, I am.”

Changkyun’s heart dropped and he quickly stood up as well, “Hey, it’s ok, don’t worry about it.”

After watching Kihyun struggle to attach the zipper, he slowly reached out, placing his hands over the other male’s fingers and zipping the jacket closed, ignoring the strangled noise that resonated in Kihyun’s throat. The quiet laugh Kihyun pushed out in its place sounded too thick and too empty. His hands hovering over the other’s collar, Changkyun reached up to brush the hair sticking to the man’s forehead. He froze when he felt Kihyun’s hands close over his own. Pulling his arms down, Kihyun folded into Changkyun’s body, plastered his front to Changkyun’s in an almost desperate fashion. Changkyun carefully closed his arms and engulfed the other in a firm hug, enjoying the way Kihyun’s body slowly relaxed, the man’s nose buried in the juncture between his neck and shoulder. The other's damp breath came out in uneven pants on Changkyun’s skin.

Pressing a soft kiss to his temple, Changkyun allowed the other man to cling to him. He noticed the other guests in the cafe looking at them curiously, but he couldn’t really bring himself to care, continuing to rub his hands up and down Kihyun’s back. He certainly had questions, but they could wait.

Withdrawing from Changkyun’s arms, Kihyun smiled, letting out a shaky laugh, “I can’t believe you, you know that? I don’t get how you do this to me.”

Changkyun snorted, but made sure his eyes were soft, “Yeah, trust me, I don’t either. I’m literally the most awkward and useless dude alive.”

“Let’s leave, yeah?” Kihyun asked, fingers still clutching the sides of Changkyun’s sweater.

“Sure.”

Hand on the small of Kihyun’s back, he guided the man out, throwing a goodbye wave to Jungkook over his shoulder. A part of him wanted to ask Jungkook about Kihyun’s music, but he knew he was better off learning from Kihyun himself. He wondered what he would find. As he looped his hand through the other’s arm, he couldn’t help but muse about the intricacies of Kihyun’s personality, from the Cy Twombly paintings adorning his apartment walls to the wet, heavy words pressed into his skin that night to the trembling fingers that currently cupped his own. In their own ways, they were all so inherently _him_. It scared Changkyun, this certainty he felt in that moment, knowing he was already so helplessly entangled in everything _Kihyun._

His social life had caved in on itself, revealing an intricate network of people whose strings all led to Kihyun, and Changkyun really didn’t know what to make of it. He wasn’t a religious man, but this couldn’t be an accident, this had to mean _something_.

Or it didn’t. Maybe Changkyun was pulling at straws, looking for some obscure reason to justify his intense gravitation towards Kihyun. Maybe Hoseok just happened to be dating Minhyuk and Hyungwon, and maybe Jungkook just happened to know Yoongi. Sometimes things just happened.

He sighed and watched the cars beside them roll by in streams of silver, black, and yellow, listened to the endless chatter of voices and machines resonating in the air. Kihyun smiled, all white teeth and half-moon eyes, and Changkyun let himself fall.

**Author's Note:**

> comments are amazing <3  
> @kihyunnybee on tumblr


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